Abstract Rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) coated conductors (CCs) are regarded as promising candidates for next-generation superconducting technologies operating in photon-rich environments, such as particle accelerators, fusion reactors, and high-field radio-frequency (RF) systems. Although the effects of ion and neutron irradiation on the superconducting properties of REBCO have been partially investigated, particularly in the context of enhancing vortex pinning, the radiation environments relevant to emerging applications require more thorough studies. This also includes photon-induced degradation, which remains less explored, particularly in the low-energy hard x-ray regime. In this study, the influence of synchrotron-generated photons in the 2-30 keV range on the superconducting performance of commercially available REBCO-CCs is investigated. The evolution of critical current density, critical temperature, and surface impedance is examined through in-situ measurements of DC and RF properties conducted during irradiation at the NOTOS beamline (ALBA Synchrotron). The findings reveal that photon exposure within this energy range showed no evidence of irreversible radiation-induced changes under the conditions tested. At higher power levels, reversible perturbations in superconducting properties were observed, primarily due to thermal effects, underscoring the importance of thermal management. These effects are influenced by the experimental setup and may be mitigated in practical applications by ensuring sufficient thermal contact with a cold sink or through direct cooling using refrigerated gases or liquids. Nevertheless, these results emphasise the importance of considering thermal management and photon-induced effects when implementing REBCO-based systems in radiation-rich environments.
Krkotić et al. (Mon,) studied this question.