Fundamental power couplers for RF particle accelerators are the most important components that interface with the accelerating structures. In the case of superconducting cavities, the main function of providing the appropriate amount of power to the cavity's fields and to the beams is dwarfed by the requirements that the couplers must meet in order to harmoniously blend into the vacuum, cryogenic, and electromagnetic environment. Recently, a lot of progress has been made in the areas critical to the successful design, construction, and operation of fundamental power couplers. Simulations are now routinely performed that allow the prediction of electromagnetic, multipacting, thermal, and mechanical properties of couplers. From these studies, better designs have been conceived which can minimize potential problems ahead of construction. Judicious use of materials and the implementation of clean practices and of careful conditioning have gradually increased the power levels at which couplers can safely operate. Machine operation at hundreds of kilowatts has been achieved in CW at KEK and Cornell, and in a pulsed mode at the TESLA Test Facility (TTF). Test stand operations in CW at the megawatt level (Accelerator for the Production of Tritium) and in pulse mode at a peak power of 2 MW (Spallation Neutron Source, TTF version II) have been achieved. The recent progress indicates that the understanding of the behavior of fundamental power couplers is rapidly increasing and that optimal designs are being developed which will allow in the future to attain routinely megawatt power levels necessary for high beam power machines under construction and under study. Supported by US DOE Contract Nos. DE-AC05-00OR22725 and DE-AC05-84ER40150.

Author: Isidoro E. Campisi

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