High Performance SRF Cavities from Improved Superconductors and Production Techniques

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Due to its many successes in science and applications, superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) has become an enabling technology for the accelerator-based sciences such as particle physics, nuclear physics and the materials sciences. Nevertheless, there remain technical and scientific challenges to the full realization of the potential of this technology. This award to Cornell will provide support for the study of in situ plasma cleaning of SRF cavities as an effective method to recover and/or improve the medium field Q0 of cavities and to systematically study how thermal cycling of a cavity increases its intrinsic quality factor. The group will use temperature mapping systems and existing single and 9-cell cavities for these studies. Broader impacts of the program are extensive, including impacts across accelerator and materials sciences and student research at the graduate level.