The Rise of Ingot Niobium as a Material for Superconducting Radiofrequency Accelerating Cavities

TL;DR

Ingot niobium has emerged as a promising, cost-effective material for superconducting RF cavities, achieving comparable or superior performance to traditional materials and potentially revolutionizing future accelerator technology.

Contribution

This paper reviews the development and successful application of ingot niobium in SRF cavities, highlighting its advantages and recent high-performance results.

Findings

Single cell ingot niobium cavities achieved high Q0 (~5x10^10) at 20 MV/m.

Multi-cell cavities from ingot niobium exceeded performance of fine grain cavities.

Ingot niobium offers a promising alternative for future SRF accelerators.

Abstract

As a result of a collaboration between Jefferson Lab and niobium manufacturer CBMM, ingot niobium was explored as a possible material for superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity fabrication. The first single cell cavity from large grain high purity niobium was fabricated and successfully tested at Jefferson Lab in 2004. This pioneering work triggered research activities in other SRF laboratories around the world. Large grain niobium became not only an interesting alternative material for cavity builders, but also material scientists and surface scientists were eager to participate in the development of this material. Most of the original expectations for this material of being less costly and allowing less expensive fabrication and treatment procedures at the same performance levels in cavities have been met. Many single cell cavities made from material of different suppliers have been tested successfully and several multi-cell cavities have shown the performances comparable to the best cavities made from standard poly-crystalline niobium. Several 9-cell cavities fabricated by Research Instruments and tested at DESY exceeded the best performing fine grain cavities with a record accelerating gradient of Eacc = 45.6 MV/m. Recently- at JLab- by using a new furnace treatment procedure a single cell cavity made of ingot niobium performed at a remarkably high Q0-value (~5x10^10) at an accelerating gradient of ~20 MV/m, at 2K. Such performance levels push the state-of-the art of SRF technology to new limits and are of great interest for future accelerators. This contribution reviews the development of ingot niobium technology and attempts to make a case for this material being the choice for future accelerators.