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Sundahl C, Makita J, Welander PB, Su YF, Kametani F, Xie L, Zhang H, Li L, Gurevich A, Eom CB. Development and characterization of Nb 3Sn/Al 2O 3 superconducting multilayers for particle accelerators. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7770. [PMID: 33833275 PMCID: PMC8032729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87119-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonator cavities provide extremely high quality factors > 1010 at 1–2 GHz and 2 K in large linear accelerators of high-energy particles. The maximum accelerating field of SRF cavities is limited by penetration of vortices into the superconductor. Present state-of-the-art Nb cavities can withstand up to 50 MV/m accelerating gradients and magnetic fields of 200–240 mT which destroy the low-dissipative Meissner state. Achieving higher accelerating gradients requires superconductors with higher thermodynamic critical fields, of which Nb3Sn has emerged as a leading material for the next generation accelerators. To overcome the problem of low vortex penetration field in Nb3Sn, it has been proposed to coat Nb cavities with thin film Nb3Sn multilayers with dielectric interlayers. Here, we report the growth and multi-technique characterization of stoichiometric Nb3Sn/Al2O3 multilayers with good superconducting and RF properties. We developed an adsorption-controlled growth process by co-sputtering Nb and Sn at high temperatures with a high overpressure of Sn. The cross-sectional scanning electron transmission microscope images show no interdiffusion between Al2O3 and Nb3Sn. Low-field RF measurements suggest that our multilayers have quality factor comparable with cavity-grade Nb at 4.2 K. These results provide a materials platform for the development and optimization of high-performance SIS multilayers which could overcome the intrinsic limits of the Nb cavity technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Sundahl
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Junki Makita
- Physics Department and Center for Accelerator Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Paul B Welander
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - Yi-Feng Su
- Applied Superconductivity Center, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA
| | - Fumitake Kametani
- Applied Superconductivity Center, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA
| | - Lin Xie
- Department of Physics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Lian Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Alex Gurevich
- Physics Department and Center for Accelerator Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA.
| | - Chang-Beom Eom
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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