A new experiment to enable rapid systematic investigations of flux trapping dynamics for superconducting radio-frequency cavity applications

Many modern accelerators rely on superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities to accelerate particles. When these cavities are cooled to the superconducting state, a fraction of the ambient magnetic field (e.g., Earth’s magnetic field) may be trapped in the superconductor. This trapped flux can significantly increase the power dissipation of the SRF cavities. It is, therefore, crucial to understand the underlying mechanism of how magnetic flux is trapped and what treatments and operating conditions can reduce the flux-trapping efficiency. A new experiment was designed that enables a systemic investigation of flux trapping. It allows for independent control of cooldown conditions, which might have an influence on flux trapping: temperature gradient across the superconductor during cooldown, cooldown rate, and ambient magnetic field. For exhaustive studies, the setup was designed for quick thermal cycling, permitting up to 300 superconducting transitions in one day. In this paper, the setup and operation is described in detail and an estimation of the measurement errors is given. Exemplary data are presented to illustrate the efficacy of the system.