The performance of particle accelerators components is closely linked to the properties of the materials used, the surface treatments (chemical, thermal, mechanical, etc.) applied to them, and their assembly processes.
Some limitations are directly due to the performance of these materials, both from a technological point of view (field emission, chain assembly, cryogenic and ultra-high vacuum performance), and from a more fundamental point of view (development of new materials and new manufacturing methods).
To address the issues raised by the Maverics (Materials for Dynamic Vacuum Accelerators and Innovative Research for Superconducting Cavities) research team, it is essential to develop a supporting infrastructure to test, characterize and validate both the fundamental properties of the materials and the innovative processes proposed.
The Vacuum and Surfaces Platform specializing in accelerator-specific R&D on materials, surfaces and ultra-high vacuum was launched in 2020 with the creation of the IJCLab.