VMI, Lexington, USA
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
We report calculations of a dc superheating field Hs in superconductors with nanostructured surfaces. Particularly, we performed numerical simulations of the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) equations for a superconductor with an inhomogeneous profile of impurity concentration, a thin superconducting layer on top of another superconductor, and S-I-S multilayers. The superheating field was calculated taking into account the instability of the Meissner state at a finite wavelength along the surface depending on the value of the GL parameter. Simulations were done for the materials parameters of Nb and Nb₃Sn at different values of the GL parameter and the mean free paths. We show that the impurity concentration profile at the surface and thicknesses of superconducting layers in S-I-S structures can be optimized to reach the maximum Hs, which exceeds the bulk superheating fields of both Nb and Nb₃Sn. For example, a S-I-S structure with 90 nm thick Nb₃Sn layer on Nb can boost the superheating field up to ~ 500 mT, while protecting the SRF cavity from dendritic thermomagnetic avalanches caused by local penetration of vortices.
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
A new magnetic field mapping system for 1.3 GHz single-cell cavities was developed in order to reveal the impact of ambient magnetic field and temperature gradients during cool-down on the flux trapping phenomenon. Measurements were done at 2 K for different cool-down conditions of a large-grain cavity before and after 120 °C bake. The fraction of applied magnetic field trapped in the cavity walls was ~ 50% after slow cool-down and ~20% after fast cool-down. The results showed a weak correlation between between trapped flux locations and hot-spots causing the high-field Q-slope. The results also showed an increase of the trapped flux at the quench location, after quenching, and a local redistribution of trapped flux with increasing RF field.
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
We report scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on N-doped cavity hot and cold spot cutouts. Analysis of the electron tunneling spectra using a proximity effect theory shows that hot spots have a reduced superconducting gap and a wider distribution of the contact resistance. Alone, these degraded superconducting properties account for a much weaker excess dissipation as compared with the vortex contribution. Based on the correlation between the quasiparticle density of states and temperature mapping, we suggest that degraded superconducting properties may facilitate vortex nucleation or settling of trapped flux during cooling the cavity through the critical temperature.
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
TUIXA01
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
SRF cavities subjected to heat treatment below 200 °C in the presence of nitrogen showed an improvement in quality factor while maintaining an accelerating gradient above 25 MV/m. Here, we report the rf performance of several single-cell superconducting radio frequency cavities with frequency ranging from 0.75 - 3.0 GHz subjected to low temperature heat treatment in nitrogen environment. The cavities were treated at temperature 120 - 175 oC for 24 - 48 hours in low partial pressure of ultra-pure nitrogen gas. The improvement in Q₀ with Q-rise was observed when nitrogen gas was injected ~300 °C during the furnace treatment. The surface modification was confirmed by the change in electronic mean free path and near surface elemental analysis by SIMS. The field dependence of the rf losses is strongly correlated to the cavity frequency. The analysis of experimental data with available theoretical models as well as comparison with similar study on high temperature nitrogen doped cavities will be presented.
THIXA04
JLab, Newport News, VA, USA
GA, San Diego, California, USA
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
TechSource, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
TJS Technologies, Commack, New York, USA
Recent progress in the development of high-quality Nb₃Sn film coatings along with the availability of cryocoolers with high cooling capacity at 4 K makes it feasible to operate SRF cavities cooled by thermal conduction at relevant accelerating gradients for use in accelerators. We have developed a prototype single-cell cavity to prove the feasibility of operation up to the accelerating gradient required for 1 MeV energy gain, cooled by conduction with cryocoolers. The cavity has a ~3 ¿m thick Nb₃Sn film on the inner surface, deposited on a ~4 mm thick bulk Nb substrate and a bulk ~7 mm thick Cu outer shell with three Cu attachment tabs. The cavity was tested up to a peak surface magnetic field of 53 mT in liquid He at 4.3 K. A horizontal test cryostat was designed and built to test the cavity cooled with three cryocoolers. The rf tests of the conduction-cooled cavity achieved a peak surface magnetic field of 50 mT and stable operation was possible with up to 18.5 W of rf heat load. The peak frequency shift due to microphonics was 23 Hz. These results represent the highest peak surface magnetic field achieved in a conduction-cooled SRF cavity to date