Characterization Of Superconducting Samples With SIC System For Thin Film Developments: Status And Recent Results

Within any thin film development program directed towards SRF accelerating structures, there is a need for an RF characterization device that can provide information about RF properties of small samples. The current installation of the RF characterization device at Jefferson Lab is Surface Impedance Characterization (SIC) system. The data acquisition environment for the system has recently been improved to allow for automated measurement, and the system has been routinely used for characterization of bulk Nb, films of Nb on Cu, MgB$_{2}$, NbTiN, Nb$_{3}$Sn films, etc. We present some of the recent results that illustrate present capabilities and limitations of the system

Samples for 3rd Harmonic Magnetometry Assessment of NbTiN-Based SIS Structures

International audienceIn the quest for alternative superconducting materials to bring accelerator cavity performance beyond the bulk niobium (Nb) intrinsic limits, a promising concept uses superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) thin film structures that allows magnetic flux shielding in accelerator cavities to higher fields [1]. Candidate materials for such structures are NbTiN as the superconductor and AlN as the insulator. We have demonstrated high quality NbTiN and AlN deposited by reactive DC magnetron sputtering (DCMS), both for individual layers and multilayers. Interface quality has been assessed for bilayer stacks with 250 nm NbTiN layers and AlN thicknesses from 30 nm down to1 nm. These SIS structures show continued sharp interfaces with total average roughness under 2 nm. The Hfp enhancement of the films will be examined with a 3rd harmonic magnetometry. The system is being designed and built in a continuing collaboration with CEA Saclay. It can measure 25 to 50 mm samples on a temperature controlled stage. This contribution presents an overview of the design of the 3rd harmonic magnetometer and the material properties assessment of standalone films and multilayer nanostructures

On the understanding of Q-slope of niobium thin films

The Q-slope of niobium coated copper cavities at medium fields is still the limiting factor for the application the Nb/Cu technology in accelerators. This paper presents a dedicated study of a niobium coating with bulk-like characteristics which shows a Q-slope comparable to bulk Nb at 400 MHz and 4 K. Combining the bulk like film with recent findings of the HIE Isolde indicates that the film microstructure and the Nb/Cu interface are the key aspects to understanding the Q-slope

RF Accelerator Technology R&D: Report of AF7-rf Topical Group to Snowmass 2021

Accelerator radio frequency (RF) technology has been and remains critical for modern high energy physics (HEP) experiments based on particle accelerators. Tremendous progress in advancing this technology has been achieved over the past decade in several areas highlighted in this report. These achievements and new results expected from continued R&D efforts could pave the way for upgrades of existing facilities, improvements to accelerators already under construction (e.g., PIP-II), well-developed proposals (e.g., ILC, CLIC), and/or enable concepts under development, such as FCC-ee, CEPC, C3, HELEN, multi-MW Fermilab Proton Intensity Upgrade, future Muon Colloder, etc. Advances in RF technology have impact beyond HEP on accelerators built for nuclear physics, basic energy sciences, and other areas. Recent examples of such accelerators are European XFEL, LCLS-II and LCLS-II-HE, SHINE, SNS, ESS, FRIB, and EIC. To support and enable new accelerator-based applications and even make some of them feasible, we must continue addressing their challenges via a comprehensive RF R&D program that would advance the existing RF technologies and explore the nascent ones

Progress in European Thin Film Activities

International audienceThin-film cavities with higher Tc superconductors (SC) than Nb promise to move the operating temperature from 2 to 4.5 K with savings 3 orders of magnitude in cryogenic power consumption. Several European labs are coordinating their efforts to obtain a first 1.3 GHz cavity prototype through the I.FAST collaboration and other informal collaborations with CERN and DESY. R&D covers the entire production chain. In particular, new production techniques of seamless Copper and Niobium elliptical cavities via additive manufacturing are studied and evaluated. New acid-free polishing techniques to reduce surface roughness in a more sustainable way such as plasma electropolishing and metallographic polishing have been tested. Optimization of coating parameters of higher Tc SC than Nb (Nb₃Sn, V₃Si, NbTiN) via PVD and multilayer via ALD are on the way. Finally, rapid heat treatments such as Flash Lamp Annealing and Laser Annealing are used to avoid or reduce Cu diffusion in the SC film. The development and characterization of SC coatings is done on planar samples, 6 GHz cavities, choke cavities, QPR and 1.3 GHz cavities. This work presents the progress status of these coordinated efforts