Characterisation of Magnetic Shielding Material for HL-LHC Crab Cavities

To guarantee optimum performance, the crab cavities for the high-luminosity upgrade of CERN's LHC need to be shielded from external magnetic fields. Consequently, they will be enclosed by two layers of magnetic shielding, of which the inner is immersed in superfluid helium at 2 K. A Ni-based high-permeability material with a tailored composition and a designated heat treatment is applied. Its magnetic properties at cryogenic temperature are however not yet fully assessed. Especially the effect of deformation on magnetic properties has not been thoroughly investigated, however strain effects may have severe consequences. A magnetic measurement set-up has been developed, and the magnetic permeability at room temperature and at cryogenic temperatures is evaluated, showing that the maximum relative permeability at 4 K exceeds the design criteria of 100, 000. Measurements of the magnetic permeability after introduction of uniaxial plastic deformation between 0% and 3% are conducted by means of an Epstein frame. Results show that deformation induces significant decrease of the magnetic performance, underlining that particular care must be taken during all stages of handling and operation.