Speaker
Description
Over last 10 years, the EU funded Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes helped with setting up cross-European collaboration on developing superconducting thin (TF) film R&D for SRF applications. Four programmes were including work packages desiccated to this activity.
ARIES (May 2017 – Apr. 2021) WP15 on Thin film for Superconducting RF Cavities was aiming to study an effect of substrate preparation on a quality of superconducting TF, primarily of Nb, however, other materials (NbN, NbTiN, Nb3Sn) as well as SS and SIS structures were studied.
IFAST (May 2021 – Oct. 2025) WP9 on Innovative superconducting thin film coated cavities was aiming to further develop apply this knowledge to 6 and 1.3 GHz cavities. The main result was the first in the world bulk Nb cavity PVD coated with Nb3Sn film. The R&D includes deposition target development, optimising PVD and ALD deposition, functional layers of TF, post deposition annealing with laser and FLA. Another important outcome was producing the European strategy on TF SRF.
ISAS (Feb. 2024 – Jan. 2028) WP3 on Innovative superconducting thin film coated cavities is focused on specific problems: producing several copper cavities coated with Nb3Sn and SRF testing, studying magnetic field trapping and its mitigation, exploring Nb3Sn coated cavity tunability.
EPITA (May 2027 – Apr. 2031) WP4: Superconducting Thin Films coated RF cavities aims industrialisation of cavity production. The programme includes producing several copper cavities coated with Nb3Sn and SRF testing in vertical and horizontal cryostats, exploring conduction colling cryostats, and ongoing R&D on target development and thin film deposition optimisation.
These programmes enabled a close collaboration and coordination between HEI with TF SRF activities as well as academics from laboratories specialised in other technologies such as superconducting materials, surface science, plasma science, laser-matter interaction and FLA.
The TRL level has been increased after completing each programme from 3 in ARIES to 6 in EPITA. The ultimate aim of these programmes is to develop the technology of Nb3Sn coated cavity production and transfer it to industry. A number of industrial partners has grown from zero in ARIES to 3-5 involved in EPITA.