Towards robust design of thin film transition edge sensors for use in the next-generation superconducting radio frequency cavities

In order to increase the accelerating gradient, the next-generation of Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities will be operated with superfluid helium cooling. This upgrade requires the development of a state-of-the-art cryogenic temperature mapping system, which can be used to identify quench initiation in new cavities, and thereby assess their suitability for installation. This paper presents a new mapping system based on an array of Transition Edge Sensors (TESs): electrical devices that exploit the superconducting transition of a thin film to identify temperature changes.