RF Superconducting Properties of Thin Films on Niobium

We are investigating the RF properties of thin films of materials which are known to have low secondary emission coefficients, such as NbC, NbN and TiN. Preliminary measurements on the latter material have been performed by depositing a 15 nm film on parts of a doubly re-entrant Nb cavity designed to favor electron multipacting which, in the uncoated cavity, occurs copiously between the posts'tips. The measurements performed with TiN films sputtered onto Nb indicate that the RF current losses are increased by the presence of the films while the dielectric losses are negligible, within the measurement sensitivity of the system. The electron multipacting cannot be excited between the posts coated with the material tested.