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At least 379 records · Page 21

Tailoring Surface Impurity Content to Maximize Q-factors of Superconducting Resonators

Quality factor of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities is degraded whenever magnetic flux is trapped in the cavity walls during the cooldown. In this contribution we study how the trapped flux sensitivity, defined as the trapped flux surface resistance normalized for the amount of flux trapped, depends on the mean free path. A variety of 1.3 GHz cavities with different surface treatments (EP, 120 C bake and different N-doping) were studied in order to cover the largest range of mean free path nowadays achievable, from few to thousands of nanometers. A bell shaped trend appears for the range of mean free path studied. Over doped cavities falls at the maximum of this curve defining the largest values of sensitivity. In addition, we have also studied the trend of the BCS surface resistance contribution as a function of mean free path, revealing that N-doped cavities follow close to the theoretical minimum of the BCS surface resistance as a function of the mean free path. Adding these results together we unveil that optimal N-doping treatment allows to maximize Q-factor at 2 K and 16 MV/m until the magnetic field fully trapped during the cavity cooldown stays below 10 mG.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

EUV FEL light source based on energy recovery linac with on-orbit laser plasma injection

We report on a week-long study of a conceptual design of EUV FEL light source based on an energy recovery linac with on-orbit laser plasma accelerator injection scheme. We carried out this study during USPAS Summer 2023 session of Unifying Physics of Accelerators, Lasers and Plasma applying the art of inventiveness TRIZ. An ultrashort Ti-sapphire laser accelerates electron beams from a gas target with mean energy of 20 MeV, which are then ramped up to 1 GeV in a five-turn scheme with a series of fixed field alternating magnets and two superconducting RF cavities (100 MeV per cavity per turn). The electron beam is then bypassed to an undulator line optimized to generate EUV light of 13.5 nm at kW level in a single pass.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Mass and Momentum Transport in Microcavities for Diffusion-Dominant Cell Culture Applications

For the informed design of microfluidic devices, it is important to understand transport phenomena at the microscale. This letter outlines an analytically-driven approach to the design of rectangular microcavities extending perpendicular to a perfusion microchannel for microfluidic cell culture devices. We present equations to estimate the spatial transition from advection- to diffusion-dominant transport inside cavities as a function of the geometry and flow conditions. We also estimate the time required for molecules, such as nutrients or drugs to travel from the microchannel to a given depth into the cavity. These analytical predictions can facilitate the rational design of microfluidic devices to optimize and maintain long-term, physiologically-based culture conditions with low fluid shear stress.

Yew, Alvin G.↗

Engineering Localized Surface Plasmon Interactions in Gold by Silicon Nanowire for Enhanced Heating and Photocatalysis

The field of plasmonics has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of potential applications in various fields such as nanophotonics, photovoltaics, energy conversion, catalysis, and therapeutics. It is becoming increasing clear that intrinsic high losses associated with plasmons can be utilized to create new device concepts to harvest the generated heat. It is therefore important to design cavities, which can harvest optical excitations efficiently to generate heat. In this paper, we report a highly engineered nanowire cavity, which utilizes a high dielectric silicon core with a thin plasmonic film (Au) to create an effective metallic cavity to strongly confine light, which when coupled with localized surface plasmons in the nanoparticles of the thin metal film produces exceptionally high temperatures upon laser irradiation. Raman spectroscopy of the silicon core enables precise measurements of the cavity temperature, which can reach values as high as 1000 K. The same Si–Au cavity with enhanced plasmonic activity when coupled with TiO 2 nanorods increases the hydrogen production rate by ~40% compared to similar Au–TiO 2 system without Si core, in ethanol photoreforming reactions. Finally, these highly engineered thermoplasmonic devices, which integrate three different cavity concepts (high refractive index core, metallo-dielectric cavity, and localized surface plasmons) along with the ease of fabrication demonstrate a possible pathway for designing optimized plasmonic devices with applications in energy conversion and catalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Decoupling optical and electronic optimization of organic solar cells using high-performance temperature-stable TiO{sub 2}/Ag/TiO{sub 2} electrodes

An electrode structured with a TiO{sub 2}/Ag/TiO{sub 2} (TAT) multilayer as indium tin oxide (ITO) replacement with a superior thermal stability has been successfully fabricated. This electrode allows to directly tune the optical cavity mode towards maximized photocurrent generation by varying the thickness of the layers in the sandwich structure. This enables tailored optimization of the transparent electrode for different organic thin film photovoltaics without alteration of their electro-optical properties. Organic photovoltaic featuring our TAT multilayer shows an improvement of ∼12% over the ITO reference and allows power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 8.7% in PTB7:PC{sub 71}BM devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Floquet-engineered fast SNAP gates in weakly coupled circuit-QED systems

Superconducting cavities with high quality factors, coupled to a fixed-frequency transmon, provide a state-of-the-art platform for quantum information storage and manipulation. The commonly used selective number-dependent arbitrary phase ( SNAP ) gate faces significant challenges in ultrahigh-coherence cavities, where the weak dispersive shifts necessary for preserving high coherence typically result in prolonged gate times. Here, in this work, we propose a protocol to achieve high-fidelity SNAP gates that are orders of magnitude faster than the standard implementation, surpassing the speed limit set by the bare dispersive shift. We achieve this enhancement by dynamically amplifying the dispersive coupling via sideband interactions, followed by quantum optimal control on the Floquet-engineered system. We also present a unified perturbation theory that explains both the gate acceleration and the associated benign drive-induced decoherence, corroborated by Floquet-Markov simulations. These results pave the way for the experimental realization of high-fidelity, selective control of weakly coupled, high-coherence cavities, and expanding the scope of optimal control techniques to a broader class of Floquet quantum systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Optimized coplanar waveguide resonators for a superconductor–atom interface

We describe the design and characterization of superconducting coplanar waveguide cavities tailored to facilitate strong coupling between superconducting quantum circuits and single trapped Rydberg atoms. For initial superconductor–atom experiments at 4.2 K, we show that resonator quality factors above 10{sup 4} can be readily achieved. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the incorporation of thick-film copper electrodes at a voltage antinode of the resonator provides a route to enhance the zero-point electric fields of the resonator in a trapping region that is 40 μm above the chip surface, thereby minimizing chip heating from scattered trap light. The combination of high resonator quality factor and strong electric dipole coupling between the resonator and the atom should make it possible to achieve the strong coupling limit of cavity quantum electrodynamics with this system.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Optimization of Turbine Rim Seals

Experiments are being conducted to gain an understanding of the physics of rim scale cavity ingestion in a turbine stage with the high-work, single-stage characteristics envisioned for Advanced Subsonic Transport (AST) aircraft gas turbine engines fo the early 21st century. Initial experimental measurements to be presented include time-averaged turbine rim cavity and main gas path static pressure measurements for rim seal coolant to main gas path mass flow ratios between 0 and 0.02. The ultimate objective of this work is develop improved rim seal design concepts for use in modern high-work, single sage turbines n order to minimize the use of secondary coolant flow. Toward this objective the time averaged and unsteady data to be obtained in these experiments will be used to 1) Quantify the impact of the rim cavity cooling air on the ingestion process. 2) Quantify the film cooling benefits of the rim cavity purge flow in the main gas path. 3) Quantify the impact of the cooling air on turbine efficiency. 4) Develop/evaluate both 3D CFD and analytical models of the ingestion/cooling process.

Wagner, J. H.↗

MO-G-304-04: Generating Well-Dispersed Representations of the Pareto Front for Multi-Criteria Optimization in Radiation Treatment Planning

Purpose: To present a novel multi-criteria optimization (MCO) solution approach that generates well-dispersed representation of the Pareto front for radiation treatment planning. Methods: Different algorithms have been proposed and implemented in commercial planning software to generate MCO plans for external-beam radiation therapy. These algorithms consider convex optimization problems. We propose a grid-based algorithm to generate well-dispersed treatment plans over Pareto front. Our method is able to handle nonconvexity in the problem to deal with dose-volume objectives/constraints, biological objectives, such as equivalent uniform dose (EUD), tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), etc. In addition, our algorithm is able to provide single MCO plan when clinicians are targeting narrow bounds of objectives for patients. In this situation, usually none of the generated plans were within the bounds and a solution is difficult to identify via manual navigation. We use the subproblem formulation utilized in the grid-based algorithm to obtain a plan within the specified bounds. The subproblem aims to generate a solution that maps into the rectangle defined by the bounds. If such a solution does not exist, it generates the solution closest to the rectangle. We tested our method with 10 locally advanced head and neck cancer cases. Results: 8 objectives were used including 3 different objectives for primary target volume, high-risk and low-risk target volumes, and 5 objectives for each of the organs-at-risk (OARs) (two parotids, spinal cord, brain stem and oral cavity). Given tight bounds, uniform dose was achieved for all targets while as much as 26% improvement was achieved in OAR sparing comparing to clinical plans without MCO and previously proposed MCO method. Conclusion: Our method is able to obtain well-dispersed treatment plans to attain better approximation for convex and nonconvex Pareto fronts. Single treatment plan can be achieved when given bounds on the objectives.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Toward Fully Automated Multicriterial Plan Generation: A Prospective Clinical Study

Purpose: To prospectively compare plans generated with iCycle, an in-house-developed algorithm for fully automated multicriterial intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beam profile and beam orientation optimization, with plans manually generated by dosimetrists using the clinical treatment planning system. Methods and Materials: For 20 randomly selected head-and-neck cancer patients with various tumor locations (of whom 13 received sequential boost treatments), we offered the treating physician the choice between an automatically generated iCycle plan and a manually optimized plan using standard clinical procedures. Although iCycle used a fixed “wish list” with hard constraints and prioritized objectives, the dosimetrists manually selected the beam configuration and fine tuned the constraints and objectives for each IMRT plan. Dosimetrists were not informed in advance whether a competing iCycle plan was made. The 2 plans were simultaneously presented to the physician, who then selected the plan to be used for treatment. For the patient group, differences in planning target volume coverage and sparing of critical tissues were quantified. Results: In 32 of 33 plan comparisons, the physician selected the iCycle plan for treatment. This highly consistent preference for the automatically generated plans was mainly caused by the improved sparing for the large majority of critical structures. With iCycle, the normal tissue complication probabilities for the parotid and submandibular glands were reduced by 2.4% ± 4.9% (maximum, 18.5%, P=.001) and 6.5% ± 8.3% (maximum, 27%, P=.005), respectively. The reduction in the mean oral cavity dose was 2.8 ± 2.8 Gy (maximum, 8.1 Gy, P=.005). For the swallowing muscles, the esophagus and larynx, the mean dose reduction was 3.3 ± 1.1 Gy (maximum, 9.2 Gy, P<.001). For 15 of the 20 patients, target coverage was also improved. Conclusions: In 97% of cases, automatically generated plans were selected for treatment because of the superior quality. Apart from the improved plan quality, automatic plan generation is economically attractive because of the reduced workload.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Quench Studies of Six High Temperature Nitrogen Doped 9 Cell Cavities for Use in the LCLS-II Baseline Prototype Cryomodule at Jefferson Laboratory

Jefferson Lab (JLab) processed six nine-cell cavities as part of a small-scale production for LCLS-II cavity processing development utilizing the promising nitrogen-doping process. Various nitrogen-doping recipes have been scrutinized to optimize process parameters with the aim to guarantee an unloaded quality factor (Q_0) of 2.7∙10 10 at an accelerating field (Eacc) of 16 MV/m at 2.0 K in the cryomodule. During the R&D phase the characteristic Q0 vs. Eacc performance curve of the cavities has been measured in JLab’s vertical test area at 2 K. The findings showed the characteristic rise of the Q0 with Eacc as expected from nitrogen-doping. Initially, five cavities achieved an average Q0 of 3.3·10 10 at the limiting Eacc averaging to 16.8 MV/m, while one cavity experienced an early quench accompanied by an unusual Q_0 vs. Eacc curve. The project accounts for a cavity performance loss from the vertical dewar test (with or without the helium vessel) to the horizontal performance in a cryomodule, such that these results leave no save margin to the cryomodule specification. Consequently, a refinement of the nitrogen-doping has been initiated to guarantee an average quench field above 20 MV/m without impeding the Q_0. This paper covers the refinement work performed for each cavity, which depends on the initial results, as well as a quench analysis carried out before and after the rework during the vertical RF tests as far as applicable.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

A Preliminary Feasibility Study on Multi-Cavity Cryomodule Integration for the Electron Ion Collider Energy Recover Linac Cooler

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is a state-of-the-art accelerator designed for collisions between highly polarized electrons and ions. To achieve optimal luminosity, the ion beam is cooled using an electron beam sourced from an energy recovery linac (ERL). In the current ERL baseline design, one BNL type RF cavity is used per cryomodule, leading to spatial and cost challenges. This study examines the feasibility of using more compact PERLE (Powerful Energy Recovery Linac for Experiments) type cavities, which can house multiple cavities within a single cryomodule, by evaluating their Beam Breakup (BBU) instability performance. Higher Order Modes (HOM) parameters were obtained through frequency scaling, assuming constant quality factor Q_L, R/Q, and linearly scaling HOM frequencies. To predict the BBU threshold current and ensure accuracy, two different BBU tracking simulations are used for cross-verification. Although the reduced footprint of PERLE-type cavities is advantageous, maintaining sufficient damping of HOMs remains crucial. Finally, we compare the HOM damping efficiency of both cavity types and suggest a pathway forward.

Deitrick, K.↗

Results of the first implementation of RF phase signature matching at LANSCE

The LINAC at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) has been utilizing the Delta-t method to match the RF cavities to the design acceleration parameters since its commissioning in 1972. The differences in time-of-flight between two subsequent Beam Position and Phase Monitors (BPPMs) are measured with both accelerated and drifting beams, depending on the whether the module is set to on or off. The algorithm optimizes the module amplitude and phase via iterative measurements if the initial phase is in the vicinity of the design value. With an upgrade to a faster readout system, a scan over the whole RF cavity phase range requires relatively less time than the classical optimization procedure. The Phase Scan Signature Matching (PSSM) method provides a time-efficient method that ensures the phase selection lands on the bunching side and empowers future analyses to build module-specific models. The PSSM also utilizes a direct model to determine the correct amplitude to sub-percent level instead of using linearized matrices. Furthermore, lacking a reliable energy measurement method in the LINAC, we measure the beam phases at two downstream locations to increase the precision of energy measurements. In this letter, we also discuss the sensitivities of PSSM, error propagation, and the implementation results for the 2019 and 2020 beam cycles.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Operation and Optimization of Microwave-Heated Continuous-Flow Microfluidics

Microwave (MW) technology can be powerful for electrification and process intensification but limited fundamental understanding of scalability and design principles hinders its effective use. In this work, we build a continuous-flow microreactor inside a commercial single-mode MW applicator and the corresponding computational fluid dynamics model to simulate the temperature profile. The model is in good agreement with experiments for various microreactor dimensions and operating conditions. The model indicates that MW heating is greatly influenced by reactor geometry as well as the operating parameters. We observe a strong correlation between parameters and develop a gradient boost regression tree model to predict the outlet temperature accurately. This model is then applied to optimize the dimensions and operating conditions to maximize the outlet temperature and energy efficiency, resulting in a Pareto optimal. We demonstrate computationally and experimentally that it is possible to surpass the Pareto optimal and achieve an energy efficiency of ~90% or greater at temperatures relevant for liquid-phase chemistry via salting of the solvent. The present methodology can be applied to other complex MW reactors. Lastly, the combined numerical and experimental approach provides insights into and a framework for scale-up and optimization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tests of an RF Dipole Crabbing Cavity for an Electron-Ion Collider

On the scheme of developing a medium energy electron-ion collider (MEIC) at Jefferson Lab, we have designed a compact superconducting rf dipole cavity at 750 MHz to crab both electron and ion bunches and increase luminosities at the interaction points (IP) of the machine. Following the design optimization and characterization of the electromagnetic properties such as peak surface fields and shunt impedance, along with field nonuniformities, multipole components content, higher order modes (HOM) and multipacting, a prototype cavity was built by Niowave Inc. The 750 MHz prototype crab cavity has been tested at 4 K and is ready for re-testing at 4 K and 2 K at Jefferson Lab. In this paper we present the detailed results of the rf tests performed on the 750 MHz crab cavity prototype.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Quantum optimal control for pure-state preparation using one initial state

This paper presents a framework for solving the pure-state preparation problem using numerical optimal control. As an example, we consider the case where a number of qubits are dispersively coupled to a readout cavity. Herein, we model open system quantum dynamics using the Markovian Lindblad master equation driven by external control pulses. The main result of this paper develops a basis of density matrices (a parameterization) where each basis element is a density matrix by itself. Utilizing a specific objective function, we show how an ensemble of the basis elements can be used as a single initial state throughout the optimization process—independent of the system dimension. We apply the general framework to the specific application of ground-state reset of one and two qubits coupled to a readout cavity.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Glovebox Advanced Casting System Casting Optimization

Casting optimization in the GACS included three broad areas; casting of U-10Zr pins, incorporation of an integral FCCI barrier, and development of a permanent crucible coating. U-10Zr casting was improved over last year’s results by modifying the crucible design to minimize contact with the colder mold. Through these modifications casting of a three pin batch was successful. Incorporation of an integral FCCI barrier also was optimized through furnace chamber pressure changes during the casting cycle to reduce gas pressures in the mold cavities which led to three full length pins being cast which incorporated FCCI barriers of three different thicknesses. Permanent crucible coatings were tested against a base case; 1500°C for 10 minutes in a U-20Pu-10Zr molten alloy. None of the candidate coating materials showed evidence of failure upon initial visual examination. In all areas of work a large amount of characterization will be needed to fully determine the effects of the optimization activities. The characterization activities and future work will occur next year.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Emulation of neutron-irradiated microstructure of austenitic 21Cr32Ni model alloy using dual-ion irradiation

Here, in this study, the capability of heavy-ion irradiation to emulate neutron irradiation was demonstrated on an austenitic 21Cr32Ni type ternary model alloy. The model alloy used in this study is chemically analogous but compositionally simpler than of alloy 800H, which is a candidate austenitic Ni alloy which has been proposed for use in Generation IV reactors. The microstructure of the 21Cr32Ni model alloy irradiated in the BOR-60 fast reactor to 17.1 dpa and 35 dpa at ~380°C was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 17.1 dpa BOR-60 irradiated microstructure was then compared with the microstructure of the same material developed under dual-ion (DI) irradiation using various He/dpa ratios between 0.1 and 16.6 appm He/dpa in the temperature range of 430°C-500°C. The results showed that both neutron and DI irradiation of 21Cr32Ni model alloy produced dislocations in the form of a dislocation network as well as {111}-type faulted dislocation loops, cavities, and radiation-induced Ni enrichment at radiation-induced sinks. When the dose and the He/dpa ratio were kept similar to those in neutron irradiation, DI irradiation of the 21Cr32Ni model alloy at 460°C resulted in over-nucleation of small cavities and in a high density of faulted dislocation loops compared to those observed in the fast-neutron irradiated alloy of the same heat irradiated at ~380°C. The optimal condition for reproducing the neutron-irradiated microstructure was DI irradiation at 460°C and 0.1 appm He/dpa. In that case, the faulted loop and cavity size distributions in the BOR-60 irradiated 21Cr32Ni model alloy samples closely matched with those measured in the DI irradiated 21Cr32Ni model alloy sample. The fact that the He/dpa is an order of magnitude smaller than the helium generation rate for fast neutron irradiation, stops over nucleation and allows for the development of a similar microstructure as for neutron irradiation.

21Cr32Ni model alloy↗