The International Workshop on Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) devices was founded in 1983 as a platform of communication for the application of superconductivity for particle acceleration. The workshop is held every two years at various laboratories around the world. Superconducting radio frequency accelerating systems have grown into a mature technology, more than 1000 meters of SRF cavities have been installed worldwide. Superconducting cavities are under operation in electron storage rings as well as in linear accelerators for electrons, protons and heavy ions. The most recent project under construction is the neutron spallation source in Oak Ridge, USA. There is vigorous interest in using superconducting accelerating systems in the upgrade of existing installations or in new powerful accelerators for fundamental physics research (such as heavy ions, high intensity electron beams in storage rings
, neutrino factories) or applied physics (spallation neutron sources,
ultraviolet and X-ray free electron lasers). The most challenging future project
is a 30 km long superconducting linear accelerator, proposed by the TESLA (TeV
Energy Superconducting Linear Accelerator) collaboration for the next linear
electron-positron collider. In the past decade the accelerating fields in SRF
cavities have been raised from 5 MV/m to more than 25MV/m at quality factors
above 1010.
The SRF
Workshop is intended to communicate the latest findings in the field of RF
superconductivity, present new developments, stimulate controversial
discussions, establish contacts to near-by research areas and, last but not
least, to serve as an educational guide for newcomers.
Dieter Proch
(DESY), Chairman of the Workshop