FNAL and Technology Center Piezo Drives & Systems and Sales Americas Intensify Cooperation
Scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) near Chicago (USA) sometimes conduct their experiments at unimaginably cold temperatures of 2 K or -271.15 °C.
PI has been supporting these experiments for years with its customized OEM P-844K075 and P-844K097 piezo actuators. The actuators are components of the SRF cavity tuners which are installed as subcomponents in the cryo modules for the LCLS II linear accelerator. More than 500 perfectly functioning SRF cavities, with more than 1,000 actuators installed by PI, are proof enough of their reliability, meaning that their operating principle is being transferred to other areas of research. These include:
- Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) as part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE)
- Dark matter search experiments
- Quantum computer experiments
In addition to the already tried and tested use of piezo actuators for travel ranges of a few micrometers, the new fields of application present additional challenges such as a travel range of several millimeters. PI, in particular the Technology Center Piezo Drives & Systems, has set itself the goal of actively addressing these challenges and developing appropriate solution strategies.
As the test options at PI are limited to temperatures of seventy K, for measurements at lower temperatures, we must cooperate with partners. We have found one of these partners, FNAL, amongst our customers. Yuriy Pischalnikov, Senior Engineering-Physicist at FNAL, who has played an important part in previous P-844 projects, and Crispin Contreras, Engineering-Physicist II at FNAL, are working with PI development engineers on test setups and measurement series to perform the experiments mentioned earlier.
A current test series with the N-422 rod drive, which we are supporting on-site, showed some promising approaches. Following the tests there were intense discussions on further measurement series and design approaches.
The common goal is to identify a drive design that will enable reliable operation at >2 K with a travel range of several millimeters, while providing good resolution with minimal heat dissipation.
Special thanks are due not only to our partners at FNAL, but also to our US colleague Brian Connolly, Engineer Field Sales - MidWest, who actively supported the on-site visit and who makes an important contribution to the excellent customer relationship with FNAL.
Contact persons:
- Tim IJsselstein, Business Development Manager - Nano Positioning, PI US Sales Team
- Fridolin Wackermann, Technology Engineer, Technology Center Piezo Drives & Systems