Improved Performance of JLab 7-Cell Cavities by Electropolishing

The great majority of experience in niobium SRF cavity processing at Jefferson Lab is with BCP etching. This has been used on CEBAF cavities and others totalling over 600 in number. With improved process quality control, field emission is now largely controlled and other factors limit performance. All of the prototype cavities developed for the 12 GeV upgrade, although meeting minimum requirements, have demonstrated a Q-drop in the 17?23 MV/m range that is not remedied by 120 C bake. Most of these cavities received >250 micron removal by BCP etch. Two of these cavities have been electropolished using the protocol under development within ILC R&D activities. The first such cavity was transformed from Q = 3×109 at 17 MV/m to quench from 1×1010 at 35 MV/m. The details of this and subsequent electropolished JLab 7-cell cavities will be reported.