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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

AMR Magnetic Sensors in Flux Expulsion Studies

Magnetic flux expulsion properties of the superconducting material such as bulk niobium, widely used for the radio-frequency cavity fabrication, substantially affect the performance characteristics of the cavities. The quality factor of the SRF resonators can be significantly compromised due to the presence of the trapped flux vortices causing additional RF energy losses in the material. Large number of experiments have been carried out by different research groups to establish the correlation of the flux trapping in niobium cavities with the presence of impurities in niobium as well as various surface treatment methods. Majority of these experiments utilize commercially available cryogenic fluxgate magnetic sensors to measure the field before and after the niobium transition to the superconducting state to quantify the amount of flux trapped. One disadvantage of the typically used fluxgates is the size of the sensing volume. As an example, the Barting-ton F and G type cryogenic fluxgates have a sensing core length of about 30mm, which is comparable to the curvature radius of the cavity walls and hence the magnetic field lines curvature radius after the expulsion. Thus, the measured field value needs to be corrected to account for the sensor effective averaging over the sensing volume. In case of the sharper geometries, for instance if the flux expulsion to be measured on the edge of the rectangular niobium flat sheet with a thickness of ~5mm, the use of the fluxgate would be impractical.

Netepenko, A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Surface processing and discharge-conditioning of high voltage electrodes for the Ra EDM experiment

The Ra EDM experiment uses a pair of high voltage electrodes to search for the atomic electric dipole moment of 225 Ra. We use identical, plane–parallel electrodes with a primary high gradient surface of 200 mm 2 to generate reversible DC electric fields. Our statistical sensitivity is linearly proportional to the electric field strength in the electrode gap. We adapted surface decontamination and processing techniques from accelerator physics literature to chemical polish and clean a suite of newly fabricated large-grain niobium and grade-2 titanium electrodes. Three pairs of niobium electrodes and one pair of titanium electrodes were discharge-conditioned with a custom high voltage test station at electric field strengths as high as +52.5 kV/mm and –51.5 kV/mm over electrode gap sizes ranging from 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm. One pair of large-grain niobium electrodes was discharge-conditioned and validated to operate at ±20 kV/mm with steady-state leakage current ≤ 25 pA (1σ) and a polarity-averaged 98 ± 19 discharges per hour. These electrodes were installed in the Ra EDM experimental apparatus, replacing a copper electrode pair, and were revalidated to ±20 kV/mm. Here, the niobium electrodes perform at an electric field strength 3.1 times larger than the legacy copper electrodes and are ultimately limited by the maximum output of our 30 kV bipolar power supply.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nb-1Zr L-PBF In-situ Alloying and Elevated Temperature Mechanical Performance

Nb-1Zr is a readily-fabricable, dispersion-strengthened niobium alloy with improved elevated temperature properties compared to commercially pure niobium. This moderate strength niobium alloy is desirable in thermal management systems for fission power and propulsion applications; however, pre-alloyed spherical feedstock is generally unavailable. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) in-situ alloying of a Nb-1Zr chemistry was performed using a pure niobium feedstock coated with 1 wt% of zirconium-based ceramic compound nano-powders. The additively manufactured material was mechanically tested at elevated temperatures in a controlled environment in the as-built condition. For comparison, traditionally manufactured wrought feedstock was also tested under identical conditions. Examination of the materials’ microstructure and elevated temperature mechanical response aimed to determine the Zr-compound nano-powder addition with the best performance, and the overall feasibility of the in-situ alloying approach.

Niobium-based alloys↗
DOE OSTI2023

Noise Optimization for MKIDs with Different Design Geometries and Material Selections

The separation and optimization of noise components is critical to microwave-kinetic inductance detector (MKID) development. We analyze the effect of several changes to the lumped-element inductor and interdigitated capacitor geometry on the noise performance of a series of MKIDs intended for millimeter-wavelength experiments. We extract the contributions from two-level system noise in the dielectric layer, the generation-recombination noise intrinsic to the superconducting thin-film, and system white noise from each detector noise power spectrum and characterize how these noise components depend on detector geometry, material, and measurement conditions such as driving power and temperature. We observe a reduction in the amplitude of two-level system noise with both an elevated sample temperature and an increased gap between the fingers within the interdigitated capacitors for both aluminum and niobium detectors. We also verify the expected reduction of the generation-recombination noise and associated quasiparticle lifetime with reduced inductor volume. This study also iterates over different materials, including aluminum, niobium, and aluminum manganese, and compares the results with an underlying physical model.

generation-recombination noise↗
DOE OSTI2023

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Nb 3 Sn Films by Focused Ion Beam Cross Sectional Microscopy

Niobium has been the material of choice for SRF cavities for several decades due to its formability and superconducting properties. The accelerating gradient of niobium cavities is, however, rapidly approaching a theoretical limit. To achieve higher accelerating gradients a new material is needed that can sustain high fields. Nb 3 Sn is a promising competitor with a higher superconducting transition temperature and a higher critical field than pure niobium. However, Nb 3 Sn is very brittle and cannot be formed readily into a cavity. The main method for creating Nb 3 Sn cavities is to form a Nb 3 Sn film into a niobium surface using a tin vapor-diffusion method. This technique creates a microcrystalline Nb 3 Sn thin film on the inner surface of the cavity. Tin depleted regions are known to form in the film during this process. Previous studies have analyzed these regions using transmission electron microscopy on cross-sectional lamellae prepared by focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM). This method does not provide any three-dimensional (3-D) information about the distribution of tin-deficient regions. In this study we employ a focused ion beam tomographic technique to analyze the 3-D structure of the film. Electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to image the tin concentration of the film in 3-D. Tin-deficient regions are discovered close to the surface of the Nb 3 Sn film.

Viklund, E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of Low RRR SRF Cavities

Recent findings in the superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) community have shown that introducing certain impurities into high-purity niobium can improve quality factors and accelerating gradients. Success has been found in nitrogen-doping, diffusion of the native oxide into the niobium surface, and thin films of alternate superconductors atop a niobium bulk cavity. We question why some impurities improve RF performance while others hinder it. The purpose of this study is to characterize the impurity profile of niobium with a low residual resistance ratio (RRR) and correlate these impurities with the RF performance of low RRR cavities so that the mechanism of recent impurity-based improvements can be better understood and improved upon. Additionally, we perform a low temperature bake on the low RRR cavity to evaluate how the intentional addition of oxygen to the RF layer affects performance. We have found that low RRR cavities experience low temperature-dependent BCS resistance behavior more prominently than their high RRR counterparts. The results of this study have the potential to unlock a new understanding on SRF materials.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Analysis of Low RRR SRF Cavities

Recent findings in the superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) community have shown that introducing certain impurities into high-purity niobium can improve quality factors and accelerating gradients. Success has been found in nitrogen-doping, diffusion of the native oxide into the niobium surface, and thin films of alternate superconductors atop a niobium bulk cavity. We question why some impurities improve RF performance while others hinder it. The purpose of this study is to characterize the impurity profile of niobium with a low residual resistance ratio (RRR) and correlate these impurities with the RF performance of low RRR cavities so that the mechanism of recent impurity-based improvements can be better understood and improved upon. Additionally, we performed surface treatments, low temperature baking and nitrogen-doping, on low RRR cavities to evaluate how the intentional addition of more impurities to the RF layer affects performance. We have found that low RRR cavities experience low temperature-dependent BCS resistance behavior more prominently than their high RRR counterparts. The results of this study have the potential to unlock a new understanding on SRF materials.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

How nitrogen and oxygen shape SRF cavity performance

Nitrogen and oxygen-based surface treatments have revolutionized the performance of superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities, enabling them to reach higher gradients and lower losses. However, the exact mechanisms by which these treatments improve cavity performance remain largely unknown. This work provides new insights into the role of nitrogen and oxygen in SRF cavity performance by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to precisely quantify the concentrations and depth profiles of these impurities within niobium cutouts. We correlate these impurity profiles with detailed cavity performance measurements, including surface resistance and quality factor, and compare our findings with predictions from BCS theory. The results demonstrate that while both nitrogen and oxygen enhance performance, ten times more oxygen is required to achieve the same reduction in BCS resistance as interstitial nitrogen. We present a potential model in which the observed variation arises from nitrogen's greater effectiveness in trapping hydrogen, thus reducing the formation of niobium hydrides and enhancing superconducting gap.

Hu, Hannah [Chicago U.]↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetic Field Penetration Technique to Study High Field Shielding of Multilayered Superconductors

The SIS structure which consists of alternative thin layers of superconductors and insulators on a bulk niobium has been proposed to shield niobium cavity surface from high magnetic field and hence increase the accelerating gradient. The study of the behavior of multilayer super-conductors in an external magnetic field is essential to optimize their SRF performance. In this work we report the development of a simple and efficient technique to measure penetration of magnetic field into bulk, thin film and multilayer superconductors. Experimental setup contains a small superconducting solenoid which can produce a parallel surface magnetic field up to 0.5 T and Hall probes to detect penetrated magnetic field across the superconducting sample. This system was calibrated and used to study the effect of niobium sample thickness on the field of full magnetic flux penetration. We determined the optimum thickness of the niobium substrate to fabricate the multilayer structure for the measurements in our setup. This technique was used to measure penetration fields of Nb₃Sn thin films and Nb₃Sn/Al₂O₃ multi-layers deposited on Al₂O₃ wafers.

Senevirathne, I. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Undercooling measurement in a low-gravity containerless environment

A technique is described for measuring the amount of undercooling for samples processed in a low-gravity containerless environment. The time of undercooling is determined by measuring the time of cooling before nucleation and recalescence by two infrared detectors. Once the cooling curve for each drop is calculated, the amount of undercooling can then be found. The technique is demonstrated by measuring the amount of undercooling for drops of pure niobium and select compositions of the niobium-germanium alloy system while free falling in a 32 n evacuated drop tube. The total hemispherical emissivities and specific heats for these materials were measured using a high-temperature containerless calorimeter. An overview of the effect of undercooling on drops of niobium and niobium-germanium is given.

Robinson, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced liquid rockets

A program to substitute iridium coated rhenium for silicide coated niobium in thrust chamber fabrications is reviewed. The life limiting phenomena in each of these material systems is also reviewed. Coating cracking and spalling is not a problem with iridium-coated rhenium as in silicide-coated niobium. Use of the new material system enables an 800 K increase in thruster operating temperature from around 1700 K for niobium to 2500 K for rhenium. Specific impulse iridium-coated rhenium rockets is nominally 20 seconds higher than comparable niobium rockets in the 22 N class and nominally 10 seconds higher in the 440 N class.

Schneider, Steven J.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Methods for treating superconducting cavities

A system and method for treating a cavity comprises arranging a niobium structure in a coating chamber, the coating chamber being arranged inside a furnace, coating the niobium structure with tin thereby forming an Nb 3 Sn layer on the niobium structure, and doping the Nb 3 Sn layer with nitrogen, thereby forming a nitrogen doped Nb 3 Sn layer on the niobium structure.

Posen, Sam↗
DOE OSTI2020

Oxide structure of air-passivated U-6Nb alloy thin films

U-6Nb is a uranium alloy containing 6 wt% niobium that possesses high corrosion resistance. The structure and composition of the passivating oxide layer formed on air-aged U-6Nb, which gives the material its corrosion resistant properties, was characterized using surface scattering techniques. Stable oxide layers formed on the surface of a set of U-6Nb alloy thin films under ambient conditions were investigated using neutron reflectometry (NR), x-ray reflectometry (XRR) and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD). The passivating oxide was composed of approximately 27% U, 5% Nb, and 68% O, primarily consisting of a thin niobium oxide layer (5.5 ± 0.4 nm) separating a thicker UO2 layer (27.1 ± 2.3 nm) from the underlying U-6Nb alloy. A critical density of enriched niobium oxide at the metal-oxide interface is hypothesized to limit oxygen diffusion and confer high corrosion resistance to the alloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Patternable Mesoporous Thin Film Quantum Materials via Block Copolymer Self-Assembly: An Emergent Technology?

Recent developments in quantum materials hold promise for revolutionizing energy and information technologies. The use of soft matter self-assembly, for example, by employing block copolymers (BCPs) as structure directing or templating agents, offers facile pathways toward quantum metamaterials with highly tunable mesostructures via scalable solution processing. Here, we report the preparation of patternable mesoporous niobium carbonitride-type thin film superconductors through spin-coating of a hybrid solution containing an amphiphilic BCP swollen by niobia sol precursors and subsequent thermal processing in combination with photolithography. Spin-coated as-made BCP-niobia hybrid thin films on silicon substrates after optional photolithographic definition are heated in air to produce a porous oxide, and subsequently converted in a multistep process to carbonitrides via treatment with high temperatures in reactive gases including ammonia. Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering suggests the presence of ordered mesostructures in as-made BCP-niobia films without further annealing, consistent with a distorted alternating gyroid morphology that is retained upon thermal treatments. Wide-angle X-ray scattering confirms the synthesis of phase-pure niobium carbonitride nanocrystals with rock-salt lattices within the mesoscale networks. Electrical transport measurements of unpatterned thin films show initial exponential rise in resistivity characteristic of thermal activation in granular systems down to 12.8 K, at which point resistivity drops to zero into a superconducting state. Magnetoresistance measurements determine the superconducting upper critical field to be over 16 T, demonstrating material quality on par with niobium carbonitrides obtained from traditional solid-state synthesis methods. Here. we discuss how such cost-effective and scalable solution-based quantum materials fabrication approaches may be integrated into existing microelectronics processing, promising the emergence of a technology with tremendous academic and industrial potential by combining the capabilities of soft matter self-assembly with quantum materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

ORNL_AISD_NiNb

This dataset describes the nickel-niobium solid solution binary alloy, where the two constituent elements nickel (Ni) and niobium (Nb) are randomly placed on an underlying crystal lattice. This dataset for nickel-niobium (Ni-Nb) alloys available includes the formation energy and bulk modulus for each crystal structure. Each atomic sample has a disordered phase which is obtained starting from an initial regular crystal structure of type body-centered cubic (BCC), face-centered cubic (FCC), or hexagonal compact packed (HCP). The geometry optimization ensures that all the alloy samples reached the equilibrium with negative formation energy. We perform geometry optimizations using the LAMMPS simulation package [1], a flexible simulation tool for particle-based materials modeling at the atomic, meso, and continuum scales. We utilized the embedded atom model (EAM) potential for Ni and Nb developed in a previous study [2]. The potential could describe behaviors of the liquid and solid phases of Ni-Nb alloy. The structural factors and angular distributions of three atoms are well-matched with X-ray and ab initio-based molecular dynamics data. We prepared the three different crystals with different initial lattice parameters (3.52 Ã… for FCC, 3.32 Ã… for BCC, and 3.5 Ã… for HCP). We performed energy minimization in two steps. Firstly, we minimized the structures with an isotropic unit cell to minimize the side effects from our arbitrary lattice parameters for all other compositions. Then, we applied geometry optimization with a triclinic (non-orthogonal) unit cell to fully minimize the stress components to calculate the elastic constants. In this procedure, we chose 10,000 as the maximum number of allowable steps aimed at obtaining fully relaxed atomic geometries. The dataset consists of three sets of crystal structures. The first set contains 46,086 irregular crystal structures, each of them with 54 atoms, obtained through optimization starting from a regular BCC crystal structure. The second set contains 24,543 irregular crystal structures, each of them with 32 atoms, obtained through optimization starting from a regular FCC crystal structure. The third set contains 39,303 irregular crystal structures, each of them with 48 atoms, obtained through optimization starting from a regular HCP crystal structure. The atomic configurations within each set span the possible compositional range. The three sets have been unified in a global dataset, which is extremely heterogeneous in terms of crystal structures, lattice volumes, and atomic configurations. Organization of files inside the dataset: the dataset contains three subdirectories called • BCC_opt • FCC_opt • HCP_opt based on the type of initial regular structure used to start the geometry optimization. Inside each of these folders, every atomic structure is identified by a string “A_B_Câ€, where A denotes the number of Nb in the system, B denotes index of structure with a given Nb number, and C denotes the total number of structures generated with a given Nb number. For each optimized crystal structure identified by the unique string of characters “A_B_Câ€, three files are provided: • A_B_C_opt.xyz: The optimized geometries in xyz format • A_B_C_opt.cfg: The optimized geometries in cfg format. It includes cell information and atomic energy, and forces calculated from LAMMPS. • A_B_C.elastic: Raw data of 21 elastic constants from LAMMPS output. • A_B_C.bulk: Calculated upper and lower bounds of bulk modulus and averaged one based on Voigt-Reuss-Hill approach from *.elastic. References: [1] A. P. Thompson, H. M. Aktulga, R. Berger, D. S. Bolintineanu, W. M. Brown, P. S. Crozier, P. J. in 't Veld, A. Kohlmeyer, S. G. Moore, T. D. Nguyen, R. Shan, M. J. Stevens, J. Tranchida, C. Trott, and S. J. Plimpton. LAMMPS - a flexible simulation tool for particle-based materials modeling at the atomic, meso, and continuum scales. Comp. Phys. Comm., 271:108171, 2022. [2] Y Zhang, R Ashcraft, MI Mendelev, CZ Wang, and KF Kelton. Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation study of structure of liquid and amorphous ni62nb38 alloy. The Journal of chemical physics, 145(20):204505, 2016.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transferable predictions of energetic and structural properties for refractory solid solution alloys across chemical compositions

We present a data-efficient approach to train graph neural networks (GNNs) on density functional theory (DFT) data for accurate and transferable predictions of energetic and structural properties of refractory solid solution alloys in the niobium-tantalum-vanadium (Nb-Ta-V) chemical space. We start by training the GNN model only on DFT data that describes refractory binary alloys niobium-tantalum (Nb-Ta), niobium-vanadium (Nb-V), and tantalum-vanadium (Ta-V) to predict formation enthalpy and root mean squared displacement. Once trained, the GNN predictions are tested on DFT data describing refractory ternary alloys Nb-Ta-V. While, unsurprisingly, direct transferability from binary to ternary is not sufficiently accurate, augmenting the training with only 1% of the available ternary data (uniformly distributed across the entire range of chemical compositions) improves significantly the quality of the GNN predictions. For comparison, we assess the transferability in the opposite direction by training GNN models on ternary Nb-Ta-V data and making predictions on binaries Nb-Ta, Nb-V, and Ta-V, which exhibits notably higher predictive errors. The proposed methodology, which favors transferability from lower-component to higher-component alloys, offers an efficient path towards avoiding the curse of dimensionality incurred when collecting DFT data for discovery and design of multi-component disordered alloys.

Density functional theory calculations↗