Power amplifier apparatuses and techniques for optimizing the design of power amplifiers are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for optimizing a power amplifier includes selecting a circuit topology for the power amplifier. The circuit topology includes one or more photoconductive switches and an impedance matching network including one or more parameter values representative of the impedance matching network or the photoconductive switches that can be adjusted. The method further includes selecting one or more optimization goals for the impedance matching network and the one or more photoconductive switches, and adjusting the one or more parameter values according to the one or more optimization goals. The one or more optimization goals include an efficiency at a particular power output.