Undergraduate Research at Jefferson Lab

Superconducting Cavity: Weld Test and Structural Analysis

Student: Khensu-Ra Love El

School: Morehouse College

Mentored By: Hyeyoung Park

A uniquely designed Superconducting Radiofrequency (SRF) cavity will be used to study surface resistance as a function of frequency, surface magnetic field, and different cavity processes. In minimizing surface resistance, the Quality (Q) factor, and energy efficiency, increases. The accumulation of test results and recent findings urge us to better understand the surface resistance of superconductors. As a result, the focus of this study is to advance the limited knowledge on surface resistance as a function of frequency, magnetic field strength, and different processes to find a better-fitting equation. The procedure of this study includes designing, fabricating, and testing a cavity suitable for this study. The current focus in the project is the fabrication which includes verifying the unique weld, determining the structural strength of the cavity's shell, and confirming the functionality of the cavity's variable input coupler. Ultimately, the data could possibly assist in the creation of better cavities by improving their Q factor which would also lower the cost in running any experiments dealing with SRF conductors.