arXiv subjects

D. Longuevergne

Publications and source records attributed to D. Longuevergne.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Improvement of Heat-Treated Niobium Surface by In-situ Plasma Treatment Applied to Superconducting RF Resonator

A specific heat treatment at 300 C, named medium-temperature baking (Mid-T baking) is applied to superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) accelerating cavities to improve the quality factor (Qo) at medium accelerating fields (10 to 20 MV/m). This treatment is very successful when done properly as it can reduce by almost a factor of two the power dissipations in this field range. However, surface contamination can lead to the degradation of Qo instead. Plasma-based surface treatment provides an effective approach to eliminate contaminants from the Niobium surface. In this study an insitu plasma cleaning process with argon containing 10 % O2 was performed to remove hydrocarbons from Niobium surface. The treatment was applied before and after a heat treatment at 500 C under ultra-high vacuum conditions (Mid-T baking). Changes in chemical speciation and oxide layer alteration induced by plasma processing were analyzed using insitu X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and exsitu scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that plasma treatment modifies the composition of Niobium oxides, converting a Nb2O5 layer into NbO2. Furthermore, a plasma treatment before Mid-T baking helps reduce unstable oxides such as NbxO and significantly increases the proportion of metallic Niobium at the surface. The Niobium sample treated by plasma prior to Mid-T baking showed a 53 % reduction in carbide formation. Moreover, the C1s component attributed to NbC bonds shifts toward lower binding energy, indicating the formation of a more metallic NbC phase. Whereas without plasma treatment, the higher binding energy component observed after Mid T baking is consistent with Nb2C.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2026

Study of Nb Surface Under Ultra High Vacuum After Heat Treatments For SRF Cavities

Specific heat treatments applied to superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities, such as nitrogen infusion or Mid T baking, aim to improve the quality factor (Q0) at medium accelerating fields (10 to 20 MV/m). These treatments reduce the BCS surface resistance by tuning the mean free path of niobium over a few hundred nanometers, either by diffusing oxygen from the native oxide layer or by diffusing nitrogen after the dissolution of the oxide layer. However, these treatments preclude the usual chemical polishing, as it would reverse the beneficial effects of the heat treatments, making the cavities highly sensitive to surface contamination. In particular, the formation of niobium carbides, which can mask the expected benefits, strongly depends on the annealing conditions, surface preparation, and the materials history. Several hypotheses are considered regard-ing the origin of carbon: vacuum contamination, surface pollution, or internal migration from the niobium itself, potentially enriched with carbon during previous chemi-cal treatments (BCP, EP). This work aims to identify the primary source of carbon responsible for niobium carbide growth, using techniques such as X Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The study will also help pinpoint the key influencing parameters, thereby contributing to a better understanding of and potential mitigation strategies for their impact on SRF cavity performance.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2026

Insitu X Ray Photoemission Study of Nb Surface Under Plasma Cleaning During MID T BAKING For SRF Cavities

Specific heat treatments applied to superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities, such as nitrogen infusion or Mid T baking, aim to improve the quality factor (Qo) at medium accelerating fields (10 to 20 MV/m). These treatments reduce the BCS surface resistance by tuning the mean free path of niobium over a few hundred na-nometers, either by diffusing oxygen from the native oxide layer or by diffusing nitrogen after the dissolution of the oxide layer. However, these treatments preclude the usual chemical polishing, as it would reverse the beneficial effects of the heat treatments, making the cavities highly sensitive to surface contamination. In particular, the formation of niobium carbides, which can mask the expected benefits, strongly depends on the annealing conditions, surface preparation, and the materials history. To better understand these phenomena, niobium samples was annealed under ultrahigh vacuum (Mid T baking) with Ar/O2 plasma treatment to investi-gate surface contamination with insitu heat treatment at 500 C and XPS analysis.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2023

PIP-II SSR2 Cavities Fabrication and Processing Experience

The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II [1]) linac will include 35 Single Spoke Resonators type 2 (SSR2). A preproduction SSR2 cryomodule will contain 5 jacketed cavities. Several units are already manufactured and prepared for cold testing. In this work, data collected from the fabrication, processing and preparation of the cavities will be presented and the improvements implemented after the completion of the first unit will be highlighted.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2023

Recent advances in metallographic polishing for SRF application

This paper is an overview of the metallographic polishing R&D program covering Niobium and Copper substrates treatment for thin film coating as an alternative fabrication pathway for 1.3 GHz elliptical cavities. The presented research is the result of a collaborative effort between IJCLab, CEA/Irfu, HZB, and KEK in order to develop innovative surface processing and cavity fabrication protocols capable of meeting stringent requirements for SRF surfaces, including the reduction of safety risks and ecological footprint, enhancing reliability, improving the surface roughness, and potentially allowing cost reduction. The research findings will be disclosed.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2023

Design, Manufacturing, Assembly, and Lessons Learned of the Pre-production 325 MHz Couplers for the PIP-II Project at Fermilab

Five 325 MHz high-power couplers will be integrated into the pre-production Single Spoke Resonator Type-II (ppSSR2) cryomodule for the PIP-II project at Fermilab. Couplers were procured by both Fermilab and IJCLAB for this effort. The design of the coupler is described, including design optimizations from the previous generation. This paper then describes the coupler life cycle, including design, manufacturing, and assembly, along with the lessons learned at each stage.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2023

Performance Analysis of Spoke Resonators, Statistics from Cavity Fabrication to Cryomodule Testing

Irène Joliot-Curie Laboratory (IJCLab) has been leading the development of spoke resonators in multiple international SRF projects, from fundamental R\&D, prototyping, to series production. The European Spallation Source (ESS) superconducting linac is the first of its kind to put into operation the spoke resonators. After three prototype cavities, 29 ESS production cavities have been processed, tested, assembled into cryomodules at IJCLab, and then shipped to Uppsala for the site acceptance test. Seven prototypes for two other major projects, Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Application (MYRRHA) and Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II), designed in collaboration with external institutions, have as well been processed and tested at IJCLab. A new challenge is to fully process series cavities in industry, following the successful implementation of 1.3~GHz elliptical cavities in the other projects. This paper summarises main results obtained from fabrication to final testing, including frequency tuning strategy, performance, limitation in vertical cryostat, and identifies future direction of projects and R\&D in the field of spoke cavities.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2022

Fabrication experience of the pre-production PIP-II SSR2 cavities at Fermilab

The Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II, [1]) linac will include 35 Single Spoke Resonators type 2 (SSR2). A total of eight pre-production SSR2 jacketed cavities will be procured and five installed in the first pre-production cryomodule. The mechanical design of the jacketed cavity has been finalized and it will be presented in this paper along with fabrication and processing experience. The importance of interfaces, quality controls and procurement aspects in the design phase will be remarked as well as lessons learned during the fabrication process. Furthermore, development studies will be presented together with other design validation tests.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2022

European Strategy for Particle Physics -- Accelerator R&D Roadmap

The 2020 update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics emphasised the importance of an intensified and well-coordinated programme of accelerator R&D, supporting the design and delivery of future particle accelerators in a timely, affordable and sustainable way. This report sets out a roadmap for European accelerator R&D for the next five to ten years, covering five topical areas identified in the Strategy update. The R&D objectives include: improvement of the performance and cost-performance of magnet and radio-frequency acceleration systems; investigations of the potential of laser / plasma acceleration and energy-recovery linac techniques; and development of new concepts for muon beams and muon colliders. The goal of the roadmap is to document the collective view of the field on the next steps for the R&D programme, and to provide the evidence base to support subsequent decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and implementation.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2016

Open Microwave Cavity for use in a Purcell Enhancement Cooling Scheme

A microwave cavity is described which can be used to cool lepton plasmas for potential use in synthesis of antihydrogen. The cooling scheme is an incarnation of the Purcell Effect: when plasmas are coupled to a microwave cavity, the plasma cooling rate is resonantly enhanced through increased spontaneous emission of cyclotron radiation. The cavity forms a three electrode section of a Penning-Malmberg trap and has a bulged cylindrical geometry with open ends aligned with the magnetic trapping axis. This allows plasmas to be injected and removed from the cavity without the need for moving parts while maintaining high quality factors for resonant modes. The cavity includes unique surface preparations for adjusting the cavity quality factor and achieving anti-static shielding using thin layers of nichrome and colloidal graphite respectively. Geometric design considerations for a cavity with strong cooling power and low equilibrium plasma temperatures are discussed. Cavities of this weak-bulge design will be applicable to many situations where an open geometry is required.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2013

Muon spin rotation studies of niobium for superconducting RF applications

In this work we investigate superconducting properties of niobium samples via application of the muon spin rotation/relaxation (muSR) technique. We employ for the first time the muSR technique to study samples that are cutout from large and small grain 1.5 GHz radio frequency (RF) single cell niobium cavities. The RF test of these cavities was accompanied by full temperature mapping to characterize the RF losses in each of the samples. Results of the muSR measurements show that standard cavity surface treatments like mild baking and buffered chemical polishing (BCP) performed on the studied samples affect their surface pinning strength. We find an interesting correlation between high field RF losses and field dependence of the sample magnetic volume fraction measured via muSR. The muSR line width observed in ZF-muSR measurements matches the behavior of Nb samples doped with minute amounts of Ta or N impurities. An upper bound for the upper critical field Hc2 of these cutouts is found.

cond-mat.supr-con↗