Fermilab has a strong superconducting (SC) accelerator magnet R&D program, which is natural for a laboratory with the largest SC accelerator in the world, the Tevatron. The history of SC accelerator magnet development at Fermilab includes 4T NbTi magnets for the Tevatron in the 70’s-80’s, 7T NbTi dipole models for the SSC in the second part of the 80’s, and 9T NbTi High Gradient quadrupoles for the LHC IR’s in the second part of the 90’s. In 1998 we started the High Field Magnet (HFM) program at Fermilab.

The program goal is the development of new generation SC accelerator magnets with operation fields above 10 T at 4.5 K and high operation margins for different applications. The possible applications include SC magnets for the Tevatron, particularly to replace some present dipoles and provide space for special devices, to replace existing low-b quadrupoles or to create a new interaction region (IR); SC magnets for a future Very Large Hadron Collider (VLHC); 2nd generation LHC IR dipoles and quadrupoles for luminosity upgrade; SC magnets for beam transfer lines, etc.

The magnet requirements for upgrading existing and future machines push accelerator magnet technology to limits exceeding the present level based on the NbTi superconductor. Our present SC Magnet R&D program is focused on Nb3Sn accelerator magnets and explores two basic technologies used for brittle superconductors - wind-and-react and react-and-wind. The other superconductors and technologies will be also studied as soon as they become available for application in accelerator magnets.

HFM Website