Abstract: In order to solve the problem of high voltage stress and improve the control performance of grid-connected current, we put forward a modulation and control method of bidirectional high-frequency-link (HFL) single-phase PWM rectifier with active clamps. Each stage and soft switching condition of the rectifier are analyzed in detail. The proposed HFL PWM rectifier mainly consists of a high frequency galvanic isolation transformer, a secondary H-bridge converter, and a primary cycloconverter. In addition, an active clamper circuit is employed for the proposed HFL rectifier to avoid voltage overshoots and rings. Modulation strategy and repetitive control (RC) scheme are developed to enable it to achieve high performance. A 1 kVA HFL rectifier prototype is built in the lab and experiment is carried out. The results show that the proposed rectifier offers high-power-density, adjustable power factor and high-performance power conversion solution to extensive applications, especially in electric vehicle charging.