SUSPB002
TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada
UVIC, Victoria, Canada
UBC & TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Muon spin rotation (muSR) results have shown that vortex penetration into Nb can be delayed up to the superheating field Hsh by a single layer of a material with larger London penetration depth. For low temperature baked (LTB) Nb an increase in the vortex penetration field Hvp has also been observed. While clearly exceeding the lower critical field Hc1, Hvp was found to remain significantly below Hsh for LTB niobium (Superconductor Science and Technology 30 (12), 125012). Further, magnetometry experiments suggested that there is no interface barrier in LTB Nb and that the apparent Hvp increase as observed by muSR was due to surface pinning (Scientific Reports 12 (1), 5522). By varying the implantation depth of ~4.1 MeV muons using moderating foils, new muSR measurements confirm that the apparent Hvp increase in LTB Nb is indeed due to surface pinning, while for a Nb₃Sn/Nb bilayer we find an interface barrier for flux penetration. These results confirm the potential of using superconducting bilayers to achieve a flux free Meissner state up to the superheating field of the substrate.
SUSPB004
TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
The Superconducting Darmstadt Linear Accelerator (S-DALINAC) is a thrice recirculating electron accelerator wich can be operated in a multi-turn energy recovery mode*. The design parameters for kinetic energy and beam current are up to 130 MeV and up to 20 uA respectively. The injector consists of a six-cell capture cavity and two 20-cell srf cavities. The main linac consists of eight 20-cell cavities. The cavities are operated at a temperature of 2 K with a frequency of 2.9972(1) GHz. Monitoring of the srf cavities is important for the overall performance of the accelerator. A key parameter for the rating of the srf cavity performance is the intrinsic quality factor Q. At the S-DALINAC it is measured for selected cavities during the yearly maintenance procedures. The unique design of the rf input coupler allows for a wide tuning range for the input coupling strength. This makes in-situ quality factor measurements using the decay time measurement method** possible. The contribution illustrates the principal design of the input couplers and the benefits it yields for Q measurements. Recent results including the progression of the quality factors over time will be presented.
*Felix Schliessmann et al., Nat. Phys. 19, 597-602 (2023).
**Tom Powers, Proc. of SRF’05, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, 2005, p.40.
SUSPB005
INFN/LNL, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
Superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavity performance is highly dependent on surface preparation. Conventionally, electropolishing (EP) is used to achieve a clean surface and low roughness for both Nb and Cu substrates, but it requires harsh and corrosive solutions like concentrated acids. Plasma Electrolytic Polishing (PEP) is a promising alternative that uses only diluted salt solutions and has several advantages over EP. PEP can replace intermediate steps like mechanical or chemical polishing, thanks to its superior removal rate of up to 2-8 um/min of Nb and 3-30 um/min of Cu. It achieves Ra roughness of 100 nm for both substrates and has a higher smoothing effect than EP. PEP is also suitable for normal conducting cavities and other accelerator components, including couplers. We demonstrate the effectiveness of PEP on SRF substrates and analyse substrate defect evaluation. We demonstrate the application of PEP onto SRF substrates and analyse the substrate’s defect evaluation. The ongoing work includes Nb bulk and Nb on Cu QPR treatments and RF tests in collaboration with HZB.
SUSPB006
HZB, Berlin, Germany
SUSPB007
INFN/LNL, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
The I.FAST collaboration aims at pushing the performance of particle accelerators by developing sustainable innovative technologies. Among its goals, the development of thin film-coated copper elliptical accelerating cavities covers both the optimization of the manufacturing of seamless substrates and the development of functional coatings able to conform to the 3D cavity geometry while delivering the needed performance. For the latter, the optimization of the deposition recipe is central to a successful outcome. The work presented here focuses on the deposition of Nb₃Sn films on flat, small copper samples. The films are deposited via DCMS from a planar stoichiometric Nb₃Sn commercial target. The results of the film characterization are presented here. The observed dependencies between the film properties and, in particular, Tc(90%-10%) = (17.9±0.1)K is reported for Nb₃Sn on sapphire and Tc(90%-10%) = (16.9±0.2)K for Nb₃Sn on copper with a 30 micron thick niobium buffer layer.
SUSPB008
Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
LNF-INFN, Frascati, Italy
INFN/LNL, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Univ. degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
INFN-Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
The search for dark matter is now looking at ALPs (axion-like particles) as a very promising candidate to understand our universe. Within this framework, we explore the possibility to use NbTi thin film coatings on Cu resonating cavities to investigate the presence of axions in the range of 35-45 µeV mass by coupling the axion to a very strong magnetic field inside the cavity, causing its conversion to a photon which is subsequently detected. In this work the chemical treatments and DC magnetron sputtering details of the preparation of 9 GHz, 7 GHz, and 3.9 GHz resonant cavities and their quality factor measurements at different applied magnetic fields are presented.
SUSPB009
Cornell University (CLASSE), Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Ithaca, New York, USA
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA
Next-generation, thin-film surfaces employing Nb₃Sn, NbN, NbTiN, or other compound superconductors are essential for reaching enhanced RF performance levels in SRF cavities. However, optimized, advanced deposition processes are required to enable high-quality films of such materials on large and complex-shaped cavities. For this purpose, Cornell University is developing a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system that facilitates coating on complicated geometries with a high deposition rate. This system is based on a high-temperature tube furnace with a high-vacuum, gas, and precursor delivery system, and uses plasma to significantly reduce the required processing temperature and promote precursor decomposition. Here we present an update on the development of this system, including final system design, safety considerations, assembly, and commissioning.
SUSPB010
University of Hamburg, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Hamburg, Germany
DESY, Hamburg, Germany
Heat treatment procedures have been identified as cru-cial for the performance of niobium SRF cavities, which are the key technology of modern accelerators. The so called "mid-T heat treatments", invert the dependence of losses on the applied accelerating field (anti-Q slope) and significantly reduce the absolute value of losses. The mechanism behind these improvements is still under investigation, and further research is needed to fully understand the principle processes involved. Anomalies in the frequency shift near the transition temperature (Tc), known as "dip" can provide insight into fundamental material properties and allow us to study the relation-ship of frequency response with surface treatments. Therefore, we have measured the frequency versus temperature of multiple mid-T heat treated cavities with different recipes and studied the correlation of SRF properties with frequency shift features. The maximum quality factor correlates with two such shift features, namely the dip magnitude per temperature width and the total frequency shift.
SUSPB011
UVIC, Victoria, Canada
TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada
SUSPB012
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
The SRF community has shown that introducing certain impurities into high-purity niobium can improve quality factors and accelerating gradients. We question why some impurities improve RF performance while others hinder it. The purpose of this study is to characterize the impurity profile of niobium coupons with a low residual resistance ratio (RRR) and correlate these impurities with the RF performance of low RRR cavities so that the mechanism of impurity-based improvements can be better understood and improved upon. The combination of RF testing and material analysis reveals a microscopic picture of why low RRR cavities experience low BCS resistance behavior more prominently than their high RRR counterparts. We performed surface treatments, low temperature baking and nitrogen-doping, on low RRR cavities to evaluate how the intentional addition of oxygen and nitrogen to the RF layer further improves performance through changes in the mean free path and impurity profile. The results of this study have the potential to unlock a new understanding on SRF materials and enable the next generation of high Q/high gradient surface treatments.
SUSPB013
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
The onset of high field Q-slope (HFQS) around 25 MV/m prevents cavities in electropolished (EP) condition from reaching high quality factors at high gradients due to the precipitation of niobium hydrides during cooldown. These hydrides are non-superconducting at 2 K, and contribute to losses such as Q disease and HFQS. We are interested in exploring the parameters that affect the behavior of HFQS. We study a high RRR cavity that received an 800 C by 3 hour bake and EP treatment to observe HFQS. First, we explore the effect of trapped magnetic flux. The cavity is tested after cooling slowly through Tc while applying various levels of ambient field. We observe the onset of the HFQS and correlate this behavior with the amount of trapped flux. Next, we investigate the effect of the size/concentration of hydrides. The cavity is tested after holding the temperature at 100 K for 12 hours during the cooldown to promote the growth of hydrides. We can correlate the behavior of the HFQS with the increased hydride concentration. Our results will help further the understanding of the mechanism of HFQS.
SUSPB014
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
Electropolishing (EP) and buffered chemical polishing (BCP) are conventional surface preparation techniques for superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities. Both EP and BCP treated SRF cavities display high field Q-slope (HFQS) which degrades performance at high gradients. While high gradient performance in EP cavities can be improved by introducing oxygen via a low temperature bake (LTB) of 120°C by 48 hours, LTB does not consistently remove HFQS in BCP cavities. There is no consensus as to why LTB is not effective on BCP prepared cavities. We examine quench in EP, BCP, EP+LTB, and BCP+LTB treated 1.3 GHz single-cell Nb cavities by studying the heating behavior with field using a temperature mapping system. Cavity performance is correlated to characterizations of surface impurity profile obtained via time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry studies. We observe a difference in near surface hydrogen concentration following BCP compared to EP that may suggest that the causes of quench in EP and BCP cavities are different.
SUSPB015
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
The main source of RF losses leading to lower quality factor of superconducting radio-frequency cavities is due to the residual magnetic flux trapped during cool-down. The loss due to flux trapping is more pronounced for cavities subjected to impurities doping. The flux trapping and its sensitivity to rf losses are related to several intrinsic and extrinsic phenomena. To elucidate the effect of re-crystallization by high temperature heat treatment on the flux trapping sensitivity, we have fabricated two 1.3 GHz single cell cavities from cold-worked Nb sheets and compared with cavities made from standard fine-grain Nb. Flux expulsion ratio and flux trapping sensitivity were measured after successive high temperature heat treatments. The cavity made from cold worked Nb showed better flux expulsion after 800 C/3h heat treatment and similar behavior when heat treated with additional 900 C/3h and 1000 C/3h. In this contribution, we present the summary of flux expulsion, trapping sensitivity, and RF results.
SUSPB016
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
Local dissipation of rf power in SRF cavities create so called ’hot-spots’, primary precursors of cavity quench driven by either thermal or magnetic instability. These hot spots are may be detected by a temperature mapping system, and a large increase in temperature on the outer surface is detected during cavity quench events. Here, we have used combined magnetic and temperature mapping systems using anisotropic magneto-resistance sensors and carbon resisters to locate the hot spots and areas with high trapped flux on a 3 GHz single-cell Nb cavity during the rf tests at 2 K. The effect of global and localized flux trapping on the rf performance will be presented.
SUSPB017
HZB, Berlin, Germany
University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
KEK, Ibaraki, Japan
SUSPB018
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
IIT, Chicago, Illinois, USA
We present the results of commissioning a dedicated furnace for Nb₃Sn coatings of 2.6GHz single cell cavities. Nb₃Sn is a desired coating due to its high critical temperature and smaller surface resistance compared to bulk Nb. Usage of Nb₃Sn coated cavities will greatly reduce operating costs due to its higher operating temperature providing decreased cooling costs. Tin is deposited in the bulk Nb cavity by use of a tin chloride nucleation agent and tin vapor diffusion. Analysis of the resultant coating was performed using SEM/EDS to verify successful formation of desired Nb:Sn phase. Witness samples located in line of sight of the source were analyzed in order to understand the coating efficacy. The cavity’s performance was assessed in the Vertical Test Stand (VTS) at Fermilab.
SUSPB019
ANL, Lemont, Illinois, USA
GIT, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
SUSPB020
TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada
UVIC, Victoria, Canada
The phenomenon of Q-slope in SRF cavities is caused by a combination of thermal feedback and field-dependent surface resistance. There is currently no commonly accepted model of field-dependent surface resistance, and studies of Q-slope generally treat thermal feedback as a correction to whichever surface resistance model is being used. In the present study, we treat thermal feedback as a distinct physical effect whose effect on Q-slope is calculated using a novel finite-element code. We performed direct measurements of liquid helium pool boiling from niobium surfaces to obtain input parameters for the finite-element code. This code was used to analyze data from TRIUMF’s coaxial test cavity program, which has provided a rich dataset of Q-curves at temperatures between 1.7 K and 4.4 K at five different frequencies. Preliminary results show that thermal feedback makes only a small contribution to Q-slope at temperatures near 4.2 K, but has stronger effects as the bath temperature is lowered.
SUSPB021
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
Recent experiments suggest that noble-metal deposition on niobium metal surfaces can remove the surface oxide and ultimately improve superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities performance. In this preliminary study, we use density-functional theory to investigate the potential for noble-metal passivation of realistic, polycrystalline niobium surfaces for SRF. Specifically, we investigate the stability of gold and palladium monolayers on niobium surfaces with different crystal orientations and evaluate the impact of these impurities on superconducting properties. In particular, our results suggest that gold can grow in thin layers on the niobium surface, whereas palladium rather tends to dissolve into the niobium cavity. These results will help inform ongoing experimental efforts to passivate niobium surfaces of SRF cavities.
SUSPB023
Cockcroft Institute, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Cockcroft Institute, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
SUSPB024
Cornell University (CLASSE), Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Ithaca, New York, USA
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
The native niobium oxide layer present on niobium has been shown to affect the performace of superconducting RF cavities. Extremely thin layers of gold on the surface of niobium have the potential to suppress surface oxidation and improve cavity performance. However, depositing uniform layers of gold at the desired thickness (sub-nm) is difficult, and different deposition methods may have different effects on the gold surface, on the niobium surface, and on the interface between the two. In particular, the question of whether gold deposition actually passivates the niobium oxide is extremely relevant for assessing the potential of gold deposition to improve RF performance. This work builds on previous research studying the RF performance of gold/niobium bilayers with different gold layer thicknesses. We here consider alternative methods to characterize the composition and chemical properties of gold/niobium bilayers to supplement the previous RF study.
SUSPB025
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
SUSPB026
Cornell University (CLASSE), Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Ithaca, New York, USA
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
Nb₃Sn is a promising alternative material for SRF cavities that is close to reaching practical applications. To date, one of the most effective growth methods for this material is vapor diffusion, yet further improvement is needed for Nb₃Sn to reach its full potential. The major issues faced by vapor diffusion are tin depleted regions and surface roughness, both of which lead to impaired performance. Literature has shown that the niobium surface oxide plays an important role in the binding of tin to niobium. In this study, we performed various chemical treatments on niobium samples pre-nucleation to enhance tin nucleation. We quantify the effect that these various treatments had through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). These methods reveal information on tin nucleation density and uniformity, and a thin tin film present on most samples, even in the absence of nucleation sites. We present our findings from these surface characterization methods and introduce a framework for quantitatively comparing the samples. We plan to apply the most effective treatment to a cavity and conduct an RF test soon.
SUSPB027
Cornell University (CLASSE), Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Ithaca, New York, USA
SUSPB029
Cornell University (CLASSE), Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, Ithaca, New York, USA
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
SUSPB032
FRIB, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
* Work supported by the Department of Energy Contract DE-AC02-76SF00515
SUSPB033
INFN/LNL, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Nb₃Sn thin films on bulk Nb cavities exhibit comparable performance to bulk Nb at lower temperatures, and using Cu as a substrate material can further improve performance and reduce costs. However, coating substrates with curved geometries like elliptical cavities can be challenging due to the brittleness of Nb₃Sn targets produced by a classical sintering technique. This work explores the use of the Liquid Tin Diffusion (LTD) technique to produce sputtering targets for 6 GHz elliptical cavities, which allows for the deposition of thick and uniform coatings on Nb substrate, even for complex geometries. The study includes improvements in the LTD process and the production of a single-use LTD target, as well as the characterization of Nb₃Sn films coated by DC magnetron sputtering using these innovative targets.
SUSPB034
INFN/LNL, Legnaro (PD), Italy
INFN- Sez. di Padova, Padova, Italy
Rösler Italiana s.r.l., Concorezzo, Italy
In this study, Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) was evaluated as a viable method for producing seamless 6 GHz pure copper and niobium prototypes without the use of internal supports. Preliminary tests were performed to evaluate printability, leading to further investigations into surface treatments to reduce surface roughness from 35 µm to less than 1 µm. Additional prototypes were printed using different powders and machines, exploring various printing parameters and innovative contactless supporting structures to improve the quality of downward-facing surfaces with small inclination angles. These structures enabled the fabrication of seamless SRF cavities with a relative density greater than 99.8%. Quality testing was conducted using techniques such as tomography, leak testing, resonant frequency assessment, and internal inspection. The results of this study are presented herein.
SUSPB035
FRIB, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
FRIB is developing plasma processing techniques for in-situ recovery of cavity performance in linac cryomodules during long-term user operation. While plasma processing has been shown to be effective for high-frequency (0.8 - 1.5 GHz) elliptical cavities, one of the challenges for FRIB is to avoid plasma breakdown in the fundamental input coupler (FPC), which has relatively weak coupling strength (Qext ranging from 2E6 to 1E7). FRIB cavities are not equipped with higher-order-mode (HOM) couplers; however, in preliminary tests, we found that HOMs are suitable for plasma processing of FRIB Quarter-Wave Resonators (QWRs) driven via the FPC. In this study, we investigated plasma breakdown thresholds in the fundamental and the first 2 HOMs for the FRIB β = 0.085 QWRs. Electric field distributions in the FPC region and cavity region were calculated for the room-temperature case using CST Microwave Studio’s frequency domain solver (FDS). Simulation results will be presented, with comparison of breakdown thresholds inferred from the RF modeling to the experimental results.
SUSPB036
FRIB, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
The ’pendulum’ mechanical mode of quarter-wave resonators (QWR) often causes an issue with microphonics and/or ponderomotive instability unless otherwise the inner conductors are properly stiffened and/or damped. FRIB QWRs are equipped with a Legnaro-style frictional damper installed inside of the inner conductor such that it counteracts the oscillations of the inner conductor. In cryomodule tests and linac operation, we observed that the damping efficiency is different for a few β=0.041 QWRs. This study aimed to experimentally characterize the damping efficacy as a function of damper mass and surface roughness. We present damping measurements at room temperature and at two different masses and surface roughness as well as discuss future studies for damper re-optimization based on this follow-on study.
SUSPB038
SINAP, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
SARI-CAS, Pudong, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
SSRF, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
SUSPB039
SINAP, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
SARI-CAS, Pudong, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
We present our studies on the optimized nitrogen-doping and medium-temperature baking recipes applied on 1.3GHz SRF cavities, aiming at meeting the requirements of the SHINE project. The optimized nitrogen-doping process resulted in achieving a Q₀ of over 4.0×1010 at medium field and a maximum accelerating gradient exceeding 35 MV/m on single cell cavities, and a Q₀ of over 2.8×1010 at medium field and a maximum accelerating gradient exceeding 26 MV/m in 9-cell cavities. For 1.3 GHz 9-cell cavities subjected to medium-temperature baking, Q₀ values exceeding 3.5×1010 at 16 MV/m and maximum accelerating gradients surpassing 25 MV/m were achieved. These studies provide two options of high-Q recipes for SHINE cavities. The treatment processes of cavities and their vertical test results are described in this paper.
*chenjinfang@sari.ac.cn
SUSPB040
PKU, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
SUSPB042
KPH, Mainz, Germany
The Mainz Energy-Recovering Superconducting Accelerator (MESA), an energy-recovering (ER) LINAC, is currently under construction at the university Mainz. In the ER mode a continues wave (CW) beam is accelerated from 5 MeV up to 105 MeV with a beam current of up to 1 mA. This current is accelerated and decelerated twice within a cavity. For future experiments, the beam current limit has to be pushed up to 10 mA. An analysis of the MESA cavities has shown that the HOM antennas quench at such high beam currents due to the extensive power deposition and the resulting heating of the HOM coupler. To avoid quenching it is necessary to use superconducting materials with higher critical temperature. For this purpose, the HOM antennas will be coated with NbTiN and Nb3SN and their properties will be investigated. For use in the accelerator, the HOM antennas will be installed in the cavities of a former ALICE cryomodule, kindly provided by STFC Daresburry. This paper will show both the status of the refurbishment of the ALICE module to suit MESA, and the coating of the HOM antennas.
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to STFC Daresbury for the donation of the ALICE module, which strongly supports SRF research in Mainz.
SUSPB043
DESY, Hamburg, Germany
University of Hamburg, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Hamburg, Germany
Medium temperature (mid-T) heat treatments at 300 °C are used to enhance the intrinsic quality factor of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. Unfortunately, such treatments potentially increase the sensitivity to trapped magnetic flux and consequently the surface resistance of the cavity. For this reason, it is crucial to maximize the expulsion of magnetic flux during the cool down. The flux expulsion behavior is next to the heat treatment mainly determined by the geometry, the niobium grain size and the grain orientation. However, it is also affected by parameters of the cavity performance tests like the cool down velocity, the spatial temperature gradient along the cavity surface and the magnetic flux density during the transition of the critical temperature. To improve the flux expulsion behavior and hence the efficiency of future accelerator facilities, the impact of these adjustable parameters as well as the mid-T heat treatment on 1.3 GHz TESLA-Type single-cell cavities is investigated by a new approach of a magnetometric mapping system. In this contribution first performance test results of cavities before- and after mid-T heat treatment are presented.
SUSPB045
University of Hamburg, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Hamburg, Germany
DESY, Hamburg, Germany
University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Pushing the limits of the accelerating field or quality factor of SRF cavities beyond pure Nb requires the implementation of specific inner surface treatments, which are yet to be studied and optimized. One of the fundamental challenges in exploring alternative materials is that only samples or cavity cuts can be fully characterized from a material point of view. On the other hand, complete cavities allow for the SRF characterization of the inner surface, while samples can usually only be analyzed using DC methods. To address this problem, a test resonator for samples, called "Quadrupole Resonator", was designed and operated at CERN and later at HZB. It allows for a full RF characterization of samples at frequencies of 0.42 GHz, 0.86 GHz, and 1.3 GHz, within a temperature range of 2-20 K and at magnetic fields up to 120 mT. This work presents the design process, which incorporated improvements motivated by mechanical and RF studies and experience, and the results from both warm and cold commissioning are discussed. More important, the results for the RF tests of a Nb sample after undergoing a series of heat treatments and an outlook of the further usage of the QPR is presented.
SUSPB047
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
A DC cylindrical magnetron sputtering system has been commissioned and operated to deposit Nb₃Sn onto 2.6 GHz Nb SRF cavities. After optimizing the deposition conditions in a mock-up cavity, Nb-Sn films are deposited first on flat samples by multilayer sequential sputtering of Nb and Sn, and later annealed at 950 °C for 3 hours. X-ray diffraction of the films showed multiple peaks for the Nb₃Sn phase and Nb (substrate). No peaks from any Nb-Sn compound other than Nb₃Sn were detected. Later three 2.6 GHz Nb SRF cavities are coated with ~1 µm thick Nb₃Sn. The first Nb₃Sn coated cavity reached close to Eacc = 8 MV/m, demonstrating a quality factor Q₀ of 3.2 × 108 at Tbath = 4.4 K and Eacc = 5 MV/m, about a factor of three higher than that of Nb at this temperature. Q₀ was close to 1.1 × 109, dominated by the residual resistance, at 2 K and Eacc = 5 MV/m. The Nb₃Sn coated cavities demonstrated Tc in the range of 17.9 ¿ 18 K. Here we present the commissioning experience, system optimization, and the first results from the Nb₃Sn fabrication on flat samples and SRF cavities.