We are excited to announce collaborative research published in the APS Physical Review Research Journal "

Advancing Particle Accelerator Performance: Unveiling the Impact of Surface Defects in Nb₃Sn-Coated SRF Cavities"

Coating the interior of superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities with a Nb₃Sn film can drastically enhance the efficiency and performance of particle accelerator infrastructure. However, imperfections in the deposited Nb3Sn coating, especially near the surface, limit its implementation as a next-generation SRF material.

This study represents a collaborative effort involving researchers from condensed matter physics, surface chemistry, and accelerator physics disciplines. Together, they explored how imperfections, specifically areas with too much or too little tin, form during the coating process and how they can affect SRF performance. Using both experiments and computer simulations, the team studied how tiny defects on the nanoscale, like tin-rich islands or periodic corrugations in tin-deficient areas, can cause issues during operation by creating points where magnetic vortices form and degrade the cavity's performance.

The findings show that just knowing the amount of tin in a surface is not enough to predict how well Nb₃Sn will work in an SRF cavity. The shape and size of surface defects also play a critical role. By combining theoretical predictions with experimental observations, this collaborative work provides a model for predicting how to improve the quality of Nb₃Sn films, helping to develop better materials for next-generation particle accelerators.


Reference:
S. A. Willson, A. V. Harbick, L. Shpani, V. Do, H. Lew-Kiedrowska, M. U. Liepe, M. K. Transtrum, and S. J. Sibener, “Impact of submicron Nb3Sn stoichiometric surface defects on high-field superconducting radiofrequency cavity performance,” Phys. Rev. Res., vol. 6, no. 4, p. 043133, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.043133. Available: https://lnkd.in/ekuCzcgv