Preliminary design of a Cavity Tuner for Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavity

Abstract: This paper introduces a newly designed cavity tuner for superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity. Aiming to overcome the drawbacks of traditional tuning systems, like the limited tuning range of piezoelectric tuner and the low-speed tuning of stepper-motor-based tuner, this novel tuner is crafted to improve SRF cavity performance and stability via efficient and accurate frequency tuning. The design encompasses several key elements. The cavity structure includes a commonly used 1.3 GHz single-cell superconducting cavity and a room-temperature coaxial tuner cavity. The coupling mechanism between the two cavities, along with the coupling window design, ensures effective energy transfer while minimizing losses. The mechanical tuning system, driven by electromagnetic coils, enables precise adjustments, and the cooling mechanisms for both cavities guarantee stable operation. Functioning by coupling an external resonant cavity to the superconducting one, this tuner can adjust frequencies through mechanical or electromagnetic methods. It realizes rapid tuning, with a speed much faster than traditional mechanical tuner, high-precision tuning down to the sub-mHz level, and a wide tuning range covering a broader frequency spectrum. Theoretical analysis and simulations verify that the tuner can remarkably enhance tuning speed, precision, and range. It also has distinct advantages such as a simplified structure, which reduces manufacturing and maintenance complexity, and enhanced reliability due to its non-contact tuning operation. In particle accelerators, this cavity tuner holds great potential. It represents a significant step forward in superconducting accelerator technology, offering a novel way to optimize the performance and stability of SRF cavity.