Magnetics Business & Technology - May/June 2023 - 25

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
based on the outstanding properties of the X-rays emitted by electrons
in magnets, in particular, in undulators consisting of magnet
arrays. In superconducting undulators the magnetic fields are
generated by superconducting wires that allow for higher magnetic
fields than achievable with permanent magnets. Consequently,
harder and more intense X-rays can be generated at existing and
future light sources and free electron lasers.
KIT and Bilfinger Noell GmbH celebrate the arrival and installation of
SCU20, the first superconducting undulator to reach series-production
readiness back in 2017.
KIT and Bilfinger Noell joined forces several years ago for the
development of superconducting undulator technology for synchrotron
light sources, developing them into a commercial product
with worldwide application at scientific research facilities. The
development of superconducting undulators started in Karlsruhe
in the early 1990s and KIT holds several patents applicable to the
technology.
SCU technology enables the generation of more powerful X-rays
and a wider range of experiments at modern synchrotron light
sources and free-electron lasers. Compared to conventional permanent
magnet devices, SCUs can produce stronger magnetic
fields at a given period length and vacuum gap.
Today, synchrotron radiation is an indispensable tool for characterization
of materials relevant for a broad range of disciplines
including biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering.
The overwhelming success of the synchrotron light sources is
Superconducting undulators are unique not only in terms of field
strength, they also outperform permanent-magnet devices with
respect to radiation hardness. The technology developed by the
partners KIT and Bilfinger Noell includes technical solutions for
cooling the device and for its operation, which overcome aspects
of other approaches: the device is a conduction-cooled and plug
& play solution avoiding the challenges associated with a liquid
helium inventory. Furthermore, the gap between the upper and
lower half of the undulator can be varied over a wide range during
operation of the accelerator, thus providing an additional degree
of freedom and flexibility.
An undulator is an array of dipole magnets with alternating
magnetic field direction, which forces the beam of high-energy
electrons onto an " undulating " path, leading to the emission of intense
and highly collimated electromagnetic radiation. In contrast
to common undulators that use permanent magnets, wigglers use
superconducting electromagnets, relying on the ability of some
materials at very low temperatures to conduct extremely high
electrical currents with zero resistance. The high currents allow
creating high magnetic fields inside the device.
For more info, see www.bilfinger-noell.com, www.mlz-garche.de,
www.tum.de, and www.kit.edu.
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May/June 2023 * Magnetics Business & Technology 25
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Magnetics Business & Technology - May/June 2023

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