JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
With the progress made in the Nb3Sn coatings on single-cell SRF cavities, development is ongoing to reproduce single-cell cavity results on practical structures such as CEBAF 5-cell cavities. During CEBAF cavity coating development, several changes from the single-cell procedure to the coating setup and the heating profile were introduced to improve the quality of Nb3Sn films. To witness the properties of grown Nb3Sn films in different cavity locations, 10 mm x 10 mm samples were positioned in strategic places within the coating chamber. Composition and structure of the samples were analyzed with surface analytic techniques and correlated with sample location during coatings. Implications from sample analysis to Nb3Sn coatings on different geometries are discussed in this contribution.
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
ODU, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Because of superior superconducting properties (Tc ~ 18.3K, Hs h ~ 425 mT and delta ~ 3.1 meV) compared to niobium, Nb3Sn promise better RF performance (Q0 and Eacc) and/or higher operating temperature (2 K Vs 4.2 K) for SRF cavities. Nb3Sn-coated SRF cavities are produced routinely by depositing a few micron-thick Nb3Sn films on the interior surface of Nb cavities via tin vapor diffusion technique. Early results from Nb3Sn cavities coated with this technique exhibited precipi-tous low field Q-slope, also known as Wuppertal slope. Several Nb3Sn single cell cavities coated at JLab ap-peared to exhibit similar Q-slope. RF testing of cavi-ties and materials study of witness samples were con-tinuously used to modify the coating protocol. At best condition, we were able to produce Nb3Sn cavity with Q0 in excess of ~ 5×1010 at 2 K and ~ 2×1010 at 4 K up the accelerating gradient of ~15 MV/m, without any significant Q-slope. In this presentation, we will dis-cuss recent results from several Nb3Sn coated single-cell cavities linked with material studies of witness samples, coating process modifications and the possi-ble causative factors to Wuppertal slope.
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
Understanding of Nb3Sn nucleation and growth is essential to the progress with Nb3Sn vapor diffusion coatings of SRF cavities. Samples representing different stages of Nb3Sn formation have been produced and examined to elucidate the effects of nucleation, growth, process conditions, and impurities. Nb3Sn films from few hundreds of nm up to ~15 µm were grown and characterized using AFM, SEM/EDS, XPS, EBSD, SIMS, and SAM. Microscopic examinations of samples suggest the mechanisms behind Nb3Sn thin film nucleation and growth. RF measurements of coated cavities were combined with material characterization of witness samples to adapt the coating process in "Siemens" coating configuration. Understanding obtained from sample studies, applied to cavities, resulted in Nb3Sn cavity with quality factor 2 ×1010 at 15 MV/m accelerating gradient at 4 K, without "Wuppertal" Q-slope. We discuss the genesis of the Nb3Sn thin film in a typical tin vapor diffusion process, and its consequences to the coating of SRF cavities.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
THFUA3
JLab, Newport News, Virginia, USA
CEA-DRF-IRFU, France
HZB, Berlin, Germany
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom
In the pursuit of increasing the range of surface magnetic fields sustainable in SRF cavities, new standards in quality of thin multi-layer superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) structures are being achieved. With the synergistic development of multilayered metamaterials based on 3 to 1 nm NbTiN and AlN films, the interface between films is improved. Based on bulk film values, the maximum magnetic field contour plot is also established for NbTiN to guide the choice of each layer thickness and quickly converge to optimized SIS structures. The delayed DC flux entry is measured for standalone NbTiN films and multilayer stacked structures on ideal substrates and Nb substrates. Some SIS structures along with standalone NbTiN films have been deposited on Nb and their superconducting properties and RF surface impedance are evaluated.
