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We propose an approach to search for axion dark matter with a specially designed superconducting radio frequency cavity, targeting axions with masses $m_a \lesssim 10^{-6} \text{ eV}$. Our approach exploits axion-induced transitions between nearly degenerate resonant modes of frequency $\sim$ GHz. A scan over axion mass is achieved by varying the frequency splitting between the two modes. Compared to traditional approaches, this allows for parametrically enhanced signal power for axions lighter than a GHz. The projected sensitivity covers unexplored parameter space for QCD axion dark matter for $10^{-8} \text{ eV} \lesssim m_a \lesssim10^{-6} \text{ eV}$ and axion-like particle dark matter as light as $m_a \sim 10^{-14} \text{ eV}$., Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures

The superconducting cavities in the CW linacs of LCLS-II will operate at 2 K, where cooling is very expensive. One source of heat is presented by the higher order mode (HOM) power deposited by the beam. Due to the very short bunch length, especially in the L3 region, the LCLS-II beam spectrum extends into the terahertz range. Ceramic absorbers, at 70 K between cryomodules, are meant to absorb much of this power. In this report we perform two kinds of calculations to estimate the effectiveness of the absorbers and the fractional power that remains to be removed at 2 K.

Acceleration gradient is a critical parameter for the design of future TeV‐scale linear colliders. The major obstacle to higher gradient in room‐temperature accelerators is rf breakdown, which is still a very mysterious phenomenon that depends on the geometry and material of the accelerator as well as the input power and operating frequency. Pulsed heating has been associated with breakdown for many years however there have been no experiments that clearly separate field and heating effects on the breakdown rate. Recently, such experiments have been performed at SLAC with both standing‐wave and travelling‐wave structures. These experiments have demonstrated that pulsed heating is limiting the gradient. Also, a dual‐moded cavity has been designed to better distinguish the electric field, magnetic field and pulsed heating effects on breakdown.

We present a novel four-way divider/combiner in rectangular waveguide. The design is completely two-dimensional (2-D) in the h-plane, with eight-fold mirror symmetry, and is based on a recent four-port hybrid design. In combining mode, it can function as a phased array with four inputs and four outputs. The planar nature of this design provides advantages, such as the freedom to increase the waveguide height beyond the over-moding limit in order to reduce field strengths. Along with its open geometry, this makes it ideal for high-power applications where RF breakdown is a concern. Design criteria, field-solver simulation results, and prototype measurements are presented.

The nominal design gradient in the main linacs of the International Linear Collider (ILC) is 31.5 MV/m for a beam current of 9.0 mA. However, the superconducting cavities built to date have demonstrated a range in sustainable gradient extending well below this goal, being limited by Q drop-off and quenching. For the current distribution of gradient limits in the RF cavities of the ILC linacs we have optimized the overall gradient of a 26 cavity RF unit, assuming the availability of various combinations of circulators and variable power tap-offs. One simple way of running such a unit is to set RF power, beam arrival time, and all loaded Q values so that the power is matched and the gradient in all cavities equals the gradient limit in the poorest performing cavity. One improvement strategy is to adjust the cavity couplings individually (possible, since circulators are assumed in the baseline ILC design) or in pairs (when circulators are not needed) using the movable antennae of the fundamental mode couplers. Another strategy is to use variable power tap-offs (VTOs) by which the RF power to succeeding pairs of cavities can be made to differ.

Fundamental power couplers for superconducting accelerator applications like the ILC are complicated transmission line assemblies that must simultaneously accommodate demanding RF power, cryogenic, and cleanliness constraints. When these couplers are RF conditioned, the observed response is an aggregate of all the parts of the coupler and the specific features that dominate the conditioning response are hard to determine. To better understand and characterize RF conditioning phenomena toward improving performance and reducing conditioning time, a high-power coupler component test stand has been built at SLAC. Operating at 1.3 GHz, this test stand was designed to measure the conditioning behavior of select components of the TTFIII coupler independently, including outer-conductor bellows, tube transitions, copper plating, surface preparations, and cold window geometries and coatings. A description of the test stand, the measurement approach, and a summary of the results obtained so far are presented.

Superconducting rf cavities are increasingly used in accelerators. Gradient is a parameter of particular importance for the ILC. Much progress in gradient has been made over the past decade, overcoming problems of multipacting, field emission, and breakdown triggered by surface impurities. However, the quenching limit of the surface magnetic field for niobium remains a hard limitation on cavity fields sustainable with this technology. Further exploration of materials and preparation may offer a path to surpassing the current limit. For this purpose, we have designed a resonant test cavity. One wall of the cavity is formed by a flat sample of superconducting material; the rest of the cavity is copper or niobium. The H field on the sample wall is 75% higher than on any other surface. Multipacting is avoided by use of a mode with no surface electric field. The cavity will be resonated through a coupling iris with high-power rf at superconducting temperature until the sample wall quenches, as detected by a change in the quality factor. This experiment will allow us to measure critical magnetic fields up to well above that of niobium with minimal cost and effort.

This paper presents a progress report on a joint project by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), in collaboration with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), to develop a dielectric‐loaded test accelerator in the magnicon facility at NRL. The accelerator will be powered by an experimental 11.424‐GHz magnicon amplifier that presently produces 25 MW of output power in a ∼250‐ns pulse at up to 10 Hz. The accelerator will include a 5‐MeV electron injector originally developed at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and can incorporate DLA structures up to 0.5 m in length. The DLA structures are being developed by ANL, and shorter test structures fabricated from a variety of dielectric materials have undergone testing at NRL at gradients up to ∼8 MV/m. SLAC has developed components to distribute the power from the two magnicon output arms to the injector and to the DLA accelerating structure with separate control of the power ratio and relative phase. RWBruce Associates, Inc., working with NRL, has investigated means to join short ceramic sections into a continuous accelerator tube by a brazing process using an intense 83‐GHz beam. The installation and testing of the first dielectric‐loaded test accelerator, including injector, DLA test structure, and spectrometer, should take place within the next year.

We present a multimode $X$-band rf pulse compression system suitable for a TeV-scale electron-positron linear collider such as the Next Linear Collider (NLC). The NLC main linac operating frequency is 11.424 GHz. A single NLC rf unit is required to produce 400 ns pulses with 475 MW of peak power. Each rf unit should power approximately 5 m of accelerator structures. The rf unit design consists of two 75 MW klystrons and a dual-moded resonant-delay-line pulse compression system that produces a flat output pulse. The pulse compression system components are all overmoded, and most components are designed to operate with two modes. This approach allows high-power-handling capability while maintaining a compact, inexpensive system. We detail the design of this system and present experimental cold test results. We describe the design and performance of various components. The high-power testing of the system is verified using four 50 MW solenoid-focused klystrons run off a common 400 kV solid-state modulator. The system has produced 400 ns rf pulses of greater than 500 MW. We present the layout of our system, which includes a dual-moded transmission waveguide system and a dual-moded resonant line (SLED-II) pulse compression system. We also present data on the processing and operation of this system, which has set high-power records in coherent and phase controlled pulsed rf.

We have produced 400 ns rf pulses of greater than 500 MW at 11.424 GHz with an rf system designed to demonstrate technology capable of powering a TeV scale electron-positron linear collider (NLC). Power is produced by four 50 MW X-band klystrons run off a common 400 kV solid-state modulator. We present the layout of our system, which includes a dual-moded transmission waveguide system and a dual-moded resonant-line (SLED-II) pulse compression system. Dual-moding of the transmission lines allows power to be directed through a pulse compression path or a bypass path; dual-moding in the pulse compressor allows the delay lines to be about half as long as they otherwise would need to be. We describe the design and performance of various components, including hybrids, directional couplers, power dividers, tapers, mode converters, and loads. These components are mostly overmoded to allow for greater power handling. We also present data on the processing and operation of this system, which is setting high-power records in pulsed rf.

Recent experience with X-band accelerator structure development has shown the rf input coupler to be the region most prone to rf breakdown and degradation, effectively limiting the operating gradient. A major factor in this appears to be high magnetic fields at the sharp edges of the coupling irises. As a first response to this problem, couplers with rounded and thickened iris horns have been employed, with improved performance. In addition, conceptually new coupler designs have been developed, in which power is coupled through the broadwall of the feed waveguide. A prototype "mode converter" coupler, which launches the TM/sub 01/ mode in circular waveguide before coupling through a matching cell into the main structure, has been tested with great success. With peak surface fields below those in the body of the structure, this coupler represents a break-through in the NLC structure program. The design of this coupler and of variations which use beamline space more efficiently are described here. The latter include a coupler in which power passes directly through an iris in the broad wall of the rectangular waveguide into a matching cell and one which makes the waveguide itself an accelerating cell. We also discuss techniques for matching such couplers.

Recent experience with $X$-band accelerator structure development has shown the rf input coupler to be the region most prone to rf breakdown and degradation, effectively limiting the operating gradient. A major factor in this appears to be high magnetic fields at the sharp edges of the coupling irises. As a first response to this problem, couplers with rounded and thickened iris horns have been employed and successfully tested at high power. To further reduce fields for higher power flow, conceptually new coupler designs have been developed, in which power is coupled through the broad wall of the feed waveguide, rather than through terminating irises. A ``mode-launcher'' coupler, which launches the ${\mathrm{TM}}_{01}$ mode in circular waveguide before coupling through a matching cell into the main structure, has been tested with great success. With peak surface fields below those in the body of the structure, this coupler represented a breakthrough in the Next Linear Collider structure program. The design of this coupler and of variations which use beam line space more efficiently are described here. The latter include a coupler in which power passes directly through an iris in the broad wall of the rectangular waveguide into a matching cell, also successfully implemented, and a variation which makes the waveguide itself an accelerating cell. We also discuss in some detail a couple of techniques for matching such couplers to traveling-wave structures using a field solver. The first exploits the cell number independence of a traveling-wave match, and the second optimizes using the fields of an internally driven structure.

Designs for a future TeV scale electron-positron Xband linear collider (NLC/GLC) require main linac units which produce and deliver 450 MW of rf power at 11.424 GHz to eight 60 cm accelerator structures. The design of this rf unit includes a SLED-II pulse compression system with a gain of approximately three at a compression ratio of four, followed by an over-moded transmission and distribution system. We have designed, constructed, and operated such a system as part of the 8-Pack project at SLAC. Four 50 MW X-band klystrons, running off a common 400 kV solid-state modulator, drive a dualmoded SLED-II pulse compression system. The compressed power is delivered to structures in the NLCTA beamline. Four 60 cm accelerator structures are currently installed and powered, with four additional structures and associated high power components available for installation late in 2004. We describe the layout of our system and the various high-power components which comprise it. We also present preliminary data on the processing and initial high-power operation of this system.

We present a multimode X-band rf pulse compression system suitable for the Next Linear Collider (NLC). The NLC main linacs operate at 11.424 GHz. A single NLC rf unit is required which produce 400 ns pulses with 600 MW of peak power. Each rf unit should power approximately 5 meters of accelerator structures. These rf units consist of two 75 MW klystrons and a dual-moded resonant delay line pulse compression system that produce a flat output pulse. The pulse compression system components are all over moded and most components are design to operate with two modes at the same time. This approach allows increasing the power handling capabilities of the system while maintain a compact inexpensive system. We detail the design of this system and present experimental cold test results. The high power testing of the system is verified using four 50-MW solenoid focused klystrons. These Klystrons should be able to push the system beyond NLC requirements.

Two basic designs have been developed for waveguide hybrids, or 3-dB couplers, capable of handling hundreds of megawatts at X-band. Coupling is provided by one or two connecting waveguides with h-plane junctions and matching elements. In the former case, the connecting waveguide supports two modes. Small apertures and field-enhancing e-bends are avoided to reduce the risk of RF breakdown. The h-plane symmetry also allows the use of over-moded rectangular waveguide in which the height has been increased to reduce field amplitudes without affecting the scattering matrix. The theory and designs are presented, along with the results of prototype tests of functionality and power-handling capability. Such a device is integral to the RF pulse compression or power distribution system of the Next Linear Collider (NLC) for combining, splitting, and directing power. This work was motivated by the observation of RF breakdown at power levels above 200 MW in conventional and modified magic-T's.

We will review the design of the dual‐mode X‐band rf system proposed for the Next Linear Collider (NLC). Recent experimental data are presented. The system is to produce 400 ns pulses with power levels up to 600 MW. A proof‐of‐principle experiment is being constructed at SLAC. Four 50 MW klystrons will power a fully dual‐moded resonance delay line pulse compression system. Both the transfer line and the delay lines are dual‐moded. The modes carried by the transfer line are controlled by the rf phases of the different klystrons. The modes in the delay lines are controlled by a set of mode converters at the input and the end of each delay line. By manipulating the modes in the transfer line, one can achieve either no pulse compression or a pulse compression ratio of 4. The total output power will be 200 MW for 1.6 microseconds or 600 MW for 400 nanoseconds.

During the past several years, there has been tremendous progress on the development of the RF system and accelerating structures for a Next Linear Collider (NLC). Developments include high-power klystrons, RF pulse compression systems and damped/detuned accelerator structures to reduce wakefields. In order to integrate these separate development efforts into an actual X-band accelerator capable of accelerating the electron beams necessary for an NLC, we are building an NLC Test Accelerator (NLCTA). The goal of the NLCTA is to bring together all elements of the entire accelerating system by constructing and reliably operating an engineered model of a high-gradient linac suitable for the NLC. The NLCTA will serve as a testbed as the design of the NLC evolves. In addition to testing the RF acceleration system, the NLCTA is designed to address many questions related to the dynamics of the beam during acceleration. In this paper, we will report on the status of the design, component development, and construction of the NLC Test Accelerator. >

A design for a 90/spl deg/ bend for the TE/sub 01/ mode in over-moded circular waveguide is presented. A pair of septa, symmetrically placed perpendicular to the plane of the bend, are adiabatically introduced into the waveguide before the bend and removed after it. Introduction of the curvature excites five propagating modes in the curved section. The finite element field solver YAP is used to calculate the propagation constants of these modes in the bend, and the guide diameter, septum depth, septum thickness, and bend radius are set so that the phase advances of all five modes through the bend are equal module 2/spl pi/. To a good approximation these modes are expected to recombine to form a pure mode at the end of the bend. >

A high-power X-band three-stage binary RF pulse compressor has been implemented and operated at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). In each of three successive stages, the RF pulse length is compressed by half, and the peak power is approximately doubled. The experimental results presented have been obtained at power levels up to 25-MW input (from an X-band klystron) and up to 120-MW output (compressed to 60 ns). Peak power gains greater than 5.2 have been measured. >

In the X-band accelerator system for the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA), the low level RF (LLRF) drive system must be very phase stable, but concurrently, be very phase agile. Phase agility is needed to make the Stanford Linear Energy Doubler (SLED) power multiplier systems work and to shape the RF waveforms to compensate beam loading in the accelerator sections. Similarly, precision fast phase and amplitude monitors are required to view, track, and feed back on RF signals at various locations throughout the system. The LLRF is composed of several subsystems: the RF Reference System generates and distributes a reference 11.424 GHz signal to all of the RF stations, the Signal Processing Chassis creates the RF waveforms with the appropriate phase modulation, and the Phase Detector Assembly measures the amplitude and phase of monitored RF signals. The LLRF is run via VXI instrumentation. These instruments are controlled using HP VEE graphical programming software. Programs have been developed to shape the RF waveform, calibrate the phase modulators and demodulators, and display the measured waveforms. This paper describes these and other components of the LLRF system.

The purpose of the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC is to integrate the new technologies of X-band accelerator structures and RF systems for the Next Linear Collider (NLC), demonstrate multibunch beam-loading energy compensation and suppression of higher-order deflecting modes, measure the transverse components of the accelerating field, and measure the dark current generated by RF field emission in the accelerator. For beam loading R&D, an average current of about 1 A in a 120 ns long bunch train is required. The initial commissioning of the NLCTA injector, as well as the rest of the accelerator have been progressing very well. The initial beam parameters are very close to the requirement and we expect that injector will meet the specified requirements by the end of this summer.

The overmoded RF transmission and pulsed power compression system for SLAC's Next Linear Collider (NLC) program requires a high degree of transmission efficiency and mode purity to be economically feasible. To this end, a number of new, high power components and systems have been developed at X-band, which transmit RF power in the low loss, circular TE01 mode with negligible mode conversion. In addition, a highly efficient SLED-II pulse compressor has been developed and successfully tested at high power. The system produced a 200 MW, 250 ns wide pulse with a near-perfect flat-top. In this paper we describe the design and test results of the high power pulse compression system using SLED-II.

The Delay Line Distribution System (DLDS) is an alternative to conventional pulse compression, which enhances the peak power of rf sources while matching the long pulse of those sources to the shorter filling time of accelerator structures. We present an implementation of this scheme that combines pairs of parallel delay lines of the system into single lines. The power of several sources is combined into a single waveguide delay line using a multi-mode launcher. The output mode of the launcher is determined by the phase coding of the input signals. The combined power is extracted from the delay line using mode-selective extractors, each of which extracts a single mode. Hence, the phase coding of the sources controls the output port of the combined power. The power is then fed to the local accelerator structures. We present a detailed design of such a system, including several implementation methods for the launchers, extractors, and ancillary high power rf components. The system is designed so that it can handle the 600 MW peak power required by the NLC design while maintaining high efficiency., 25 pages, 11 figures

In recent years, R&D for pulse compression and power distribution systems for the Next Linear Collider has led to the invention of many novel rf components, some of which must handle up to 600 MW of pulsed power at X‐band. These include passive waveguide components, active switch designs, and non‐reciprocal devices. Among the former is a class of multi‐moded, highly efficient rf components based on planar geometries with overmoded rectangular ports. Multi‐moding allows us, by means of input phasing, to direct power to different locations through the same waveguide. Planar symmetry allows the height to be increased to improve power handling capacity. Features that invite breakdown, such as coupling slots, irises and H‐plane septa, are avoided. This class includes hybrids, directional couplers, an eight‐port superhybrid/dual‐mode launcher, a mode‐selective extractor, mode‐preserving bends, a rectangular mode converter, and mode‐mixers. We are able to utilize such rectangular waveguide components in systems incorporating low‐loss, circular waveguide delay lines by means of specially designed tapers that efficiently transform multiple rectangular waveguide modes into their corresponding circular waveguide modes, specifically TE10 and TE20 into circular TE11 and TE01. These extremely compact tapers can replace well‐known mode converters such as the Marie type. Another component, a reflective TE01‐TE02 mode converter in circular waveguide, allows us to double the delay in reflective or resonant delay lines. Ideas for multi‐megawatt active components, such as switches, have also been pursued. Power‐handling capacity for these is increased by making them also highly overmoded. We present a design methodology for active rf magnetic components which are suitable for pulse compression systems of future X‐band linear colliders. We also present an active switch based on a PIN diode array. This component comprises an array of active elements arranged so that the electric fields are reduced and the power handling capability is increased. Novel designs allow these components to operate in the low‐loss circular waveguide TE01 mode. We describe the switching elements and circuits.

The authors describe the design of several novel, passive waveguide devices being developed for the high-power rf distribution system of the Next Linear Collider. This system allows the combined power of several klystrons to be directed, by means of drive phase manipulation, to different accelerator feeds at different times during each pulse. The desire to reduce the amount of required low-loss, circular-waveguide delay line has led to the present multi-moded scheme, in which different modes travel through the same waveguide to different destinations. Components are needed for combining, launching, splitting, and directing hundreds of megawatts at X-band. For simplicity, manipulations are done primarily in overmoded rectangular guide, with the height increased to improve power-handling capacity. Features that invite breakdown, such as coupling slots and h-plane septa, are avoided. The components described here utilize TE{sub 10} and TE{sub 20} as operating modes. They include a four-input superhybrid, a mode-selective extractor, mode preserving bends, a rectangular mode converter, and a rectangular-to-circular taper, which converts between the above modes and the circular TE{sub 11} and TE{sub 01} modes, respectively.

The current profile along the 126 ns, multi-bunch beam pulse in the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) is monitored with fast toroids (rise time ~1 ns). Inserted at several positions along the beam line, they allow us to track current transmission as a function of position along the bunch train. Various measurements, such as rise time, current, width, and slope, are made on the digitized signals, which can be corrected in software by means of stored frequency response files. The design and implementation of these devices is described., Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, PAC 97

An L-band (1.3 GHz) radio frequency (rf) waveguide system was assembled at SLAC to test components of a high power distribution scheme proposed for the International Linear Collider (ILC). All parts were made of aluminum and pressurized with dry nitrogen. The rf breakdown rate measured in this resonantly powered system is presented as a function of field level at different gas pressures and rf pulse widths (typically, only breakdown thresholds are reported.). The data are compared to predictions of a simple model which relates the breakdown phenomenon to the rate at which the free electron density builds in the gas.

Rf pulse compression is a technique for augmenting the peak power output of a klystron (typically 50--100 MW) to obtain the high peak power required to drive a linear collider at a high accelerating gradient (typically 200 MW/m is required for a gradient of 100 MV/m). The SLED pulse compression system, with a power gain of about 2.6, has been operational on the SLAC linac for more than a decade. Recently, a binary pulse-compression system with a power gain of about 5.2 has been tested up to an output power of 120 MW. Further high-power tests are in progress. Our current effort is focused on prototyping a so-called SLED-II pulse-compression system with a power gain of four. Over-moded TE[sub 01]-mode circular waveguide components, some with novel technical features, are used to reduce losses at the 11.4-GHz operating frequency.

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), in collaboration with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), are developing a dielectric‐loaded accelerator (DLA) test facility powered by the 11.424‐GHz magnicon amplifier that was developed jointly by NRL and Omega‐P, Inc. Thus far, DLA structures developed by ANL have been tested at the NRL Magnicon Facility without injected electrons, including tests of alumina and magnesium calcium titanate structures at gradients up to ∼8 MV/m. The next step is to inject electrons in order to build a compact DLA test accelerator. The Accelerator Laboratory of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China has developed a 5‐MeV electron injector for the accelerator, and SLAC is developing a means to combine the two magnicon output arms, and to drive the injector and an accelerator section with separate control of the power ratio and relative phase. Also, RWBruce Associates, working with NRL, is developing a means to join ceramic tubes to produc...

The application of radio frequency (RF) vacuum electronics for the betterment of the human condition began soon after the invention of the first vacuum tubes in the 1920s and has not stopped since. Today, microwave vacuum devices are powering important applications in health treatment, material and biological science, wireless communication-terrestrial and space, Earth environment remote sensing, and the promise of safe, reliable, and inexhaustible energy. This article highlights some of the exciting application frontiers of vacuum electronics.