Visual, Optical and Replica Inspections: Surface Preparation of 650 MHz NB Cavity for PIP-II Linac

TL;DR

This paper discusses various surface inspection and polishing techniques used to prepare 650 MHz niobium superconducting RF cavities for the PIP-II linac, aiming to optimize their RF performance.

Contribution

It presents detailed methods of visual, optical, and replica inspections alongside surface polishing procedures for cavity surface quality control.

Findings

Inspection methods effectively identify surface defects.

Polishing improves surface smoothness and reduces contamination.

Enhanced surface quality correlates with better RF performance.

Abstract

Surface preparation of niobium superconducting RF cavities is a critical step for achieving good RF performance under the superconducting state. Surface defect, roughness, and contamination affect the accelerating gradient and quality factor of the cavities. We report surface inspection methods used to control the surface processing of 650 MHz cavities designated for the pre-production and prototype cryomodules for PIP-II linac. The cavity surface was routinely inspected visually, with an optical camera, and by microscopic scanning of surface replicas. This article covers details on the surface inspection methods and surface polishing process used to repair the surface.