We report on atomic-scale analyses using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM), atom-probe tomography (APT), and first-principles calculations to study grain-boundary (GB) segregation behavior of Nb 3 Sn coatings on Nb, prepared by a vapor-diffusion process for superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity applications. The results reveal Sn segregation at GBs of some Nb 3 Sn coatings, with a Gibbsian interfacial excess of ~10-20 Sn atoms/nm 2 . The interfacial width of Sn segregation at a GB is ~3 nm, with a maximum concentration of ~35 at.%. HR-STEM imaging of a selected [12 ̅ 0] tilt GB displays a periodic array of the structural unit at the core of the GB, and firstprinciple calculations for the GB implies that excess Sn in bulk Nb 3 Sn may segregate preferentially at GBs to reduce total internal energy. The amount of Sn segregation is correlated with two factors: (i) Sn supply; and (ii) the temperatures of the Nb substrate and Sn source, which may affect the overall kinetics including GB diffusion of Sn and Nb, and the interfacial reaction at Nb 3 Sn/Nb interfaces. An investigation of the correlation between the chemistry of GBs and Nb 3 Sn SRF cavity performance reveals no significant Sn segregation at GBs of high-performance Nb 3 Sn SRF cavities, indicating possible effects of GB segregation on the quality (Q 0 ) factor of Nb 3 Sn SRF cavities. Our results suggest that the chemistry of GBs of Nb 3 Sn coatings for SRF cavities can be controlled by grain-boundary engineering, and can be used to direct fabrication of high-quality Nb 3 Sn coatings for SRF cavities.

With the aim of clarifying the relationship between lattice deformations and superconducting properties of Nb3Sn technological wires we have carried out high-energy x-ray diffraction experiments at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble on individual samples of multi-filamentary internal-tin-type Nb3Sn wires. In particular, a test probe developed at the University of Geneva allowed us to perform these experiments at 4.2 K, while applying an axial tensile load to the specimen. In this way, the lattice parameter values of all the constituents (Nb3Sn, Nb, Cu) were determined, in both the parallel and orthogonal directions with respect to the applied load axis, as a function of the applied strain. The experiments were performed on industrial wires, which were reinforced by a stainless steel outer tube, applied before the Nb3Sn reaction heat treatment, in order to evaluate the effect of an additional pre-compression strain. The relation between the microscopically determined crystalline lattice deformations and the measured applied strain is discussed as a basis for the analysis of the superconducting performances of Nb3Sn wires subject to mechanical loads.

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The high frequency vortex motion in Nb3Sn was analyzed in this work up to 12 T. We used a dielectric loaded resonator tuned at 15 GHz to evaluate the surface impedance Z of a Nb3Sn bulk sample (24.8 at.%Sn). From the field induced variation of Z, the high frequency vortex parameters (the pinning constant k p , the depinning frequency ν p and the flux flow resistivity ρ ff ) were obtained over a large temperature and field range; their field and temperature dependencies were analyzed. Comparison with other superconducting materials shows that high frequency applications in strong magnetic fields are also feasible with Nb3Sn. In the present work, we report the first measurements about the microwave response in Nb3Sn in strong magnetic fields.

Nb3Sn platelets with thicknesses between 0.12 and 0.20 mm produced by a high isostatic pressure process at 1250 °C were irradiated at 300 K with 12 MeV protons. The effects of irradiation on the lattice parameter a, the atomic order parameter S and the transition temperature Tc were measured as a function of proton fluence. In view of the presence of multiple energy radiation sources in future accelerators, the present proton data are compared with neutron irradiation data from the literature. The fluences for both types of radiation were replaced by the dpa number, the ‘displacements per atom’, calculated using the FLUKA code, which is proportional to the number of radiation induced Frenkel defects. It was found that the variation of both a and S for Nb3Sn after proton and neutron irradiation as a function of dpa fall almost on the same curve, in analogy to the recently reported correlation between Tc and the dpa number. By a simultaneous irradiation of two adjacent thin Nb3Sn platelets, we have shown that this correlation is not only valid for the state of ‘steady energy loss’ (protons traveling through the first platelet) but also for the state of higher damage at the Bragg peak (second platelet). It follows that the number of radiation induced Frenkel defects in the A15 grains, calculated via the dpa number, can be considered as a ‘universal’ parameter, allowing the calculation of the variation of Tc, a and S of Nb3Sn under the effect of multiple high energy radiation sources, as in future superconducting accelerators.