INFN-LNL  ·  Legnaro, Italy

Eduard
Chyhyrynets

Level III Technologist & R&D Coordinator

Surface Technology & Superconductivity Service

Plasma Electrolytic Polishing SRF Cavities 3 Patents Particle Accelerators Quantum Computing
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Years at INFN-LNL
since 2017
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Granted Patents
WO · INFN · 60% contribution
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Invited Plenary Talks
international conferences
0
Faster than Classic EP
PEP vs. electropolishing
Eduard Chyhyrynets — researcher at INFN-LNL

INFN-LNL · Legnaro (PD), Italy

About

Materials scientist
at the frontier of
accelerator physics

Eduard Chyhyrynets is a chemical engineer and materials scientist at INFN — Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy), where he coordinates R&D activities in the Chemical Treatments Department of the Surface Technology and Superconductivity Service.

He is the inventor and world-leading researcher in the application of Plasma Electrolytic Polishing (PEP) to superconducting RF cavities — a technology he first demonstrated in the SRF field and has since scaled to real-size 1.3 GHz cavities in collaboration with CERN, achieving surfaces with roughness down to Ra 8 nm.

His career spans particle accelerators (ARIES, iFAST, FCC-ee R&D at CERN), quantum computing (Italy's first 3D QubITs, NQSTI), and dark matter detection (DarkSide-20k, QUAX, SQMS at Fermilab) — united by a deep expertise in electrochemical surface science.

Current role
Level III Technologist
Institution
INFN-LNL
Location
Legnaro (PD), Italy
PhD
Univ. of Padova, 2023
Languages
Ukrainian · Italian · English
Contact
eduard@chyhyrynets.com
Research

Four areas of
active investigation

From particle accelerators to quantum computers — the same mastery of electrochemical surface science drives breakthroughs across disciplines.

Superconducting RF Cavities

Development and industrialisation of Plasma Electrolytic Polishing for SRF elliptical cavities in niobium and copper. PEP is 10× faster than conventional electropolishing, achieves Ra < 10 nm, and was first applied at industrial scale to a full 1.3 GHz Cu cavity in 2024 — opening the CERN FCC-ee collaboration. TRL raised from 4 to 7, treated area scaled from cm² to 1500 cm².

PEP Niobium Copper 1.3 GHz CERN / FCC-ee iFAST · ARIES ESS / DTL

Quantum Computing Cavities

Surface preparation of 3D superconducting cavities for qubit and quantum memory applications. Raised Q factor from 10⁵ to 10⁶ for aluminium 3D qubits. Co-produced Italy's first 3D QubITs in December 2024, within the national NQSTI consortium (PNRR-funded), pushing the state of the art in Italian quantum technology.

NQSTI / PNRR 3D QubIT Aluminium · Nb Q factor 10⁶ Quantum Memory

Dark Matter Detection

Ultra-cleaning and electropolishing of copper components and haloscope resonant cavities for dark matter search experiments. Increased Q factor of cylindrical resonators by one order of magnitude for QUAX, DarkSide-20k (LNGS), and SQMS (Fermilab).

DarkSide-20k QUAX · SQMS Haloscopes Low Background Gran Sasso LNGS Fermilab

Technology Transfer & Patents

Three granted international patents on novel acid-free electrolytic solutions for Plasma Electrolytic Polishing of niobium, copper, and alloys — with a fourth approved invention communication (CNTT, Nov 2025). Applicable to medicine, jewellery, additive manufacturing, and aerospace.

WO2023218390A1 WO2024157150A1 WO2024184764A1 INFN TT 4th Pending
Intellectual Property

Granted patents

Acid-free, scalable electrolytic solutions for Plasma Electrolytic Polishing — a paradigm shift in surface treatment for advanced materials.

WO2023218390A1

Chemical solution for polishing niobium and its alloys by Plasma Electrolytic Polishing

Acid-free (no HF) aqueous solution of two inorganic salts. Treats niobium 10× faster than traditional EP; reduces process time from 9–15 h to 3 h with superior roughness results. Applicable to medicine, jewellery, and accelerators.

Published 16 Nov 2023 60% · INFN
WO2024157150A1

Phosphate-based solution for polishing copper and its alloys by Plasma Electrolytic Polishing

Phosphorus-based compounds enabling PEP of copper, copper alloys, nickel, and certain steels. Versatile composition for complex industrial geometries and additive manufacturing post-processing.

Published 2 Aug 2024 60% · INFN
WO2024184764A1

Sulfamic acid & H₂O₂ solution for polishing copper and its alloys by PEP

Up to 30× faster than classical EP; achieves Ra down to 8 nm; no unwanted oxidation. Used to prepare the world's first 1.3 GHz Cu cavity treated entirely by PEP (Aug 2024), opening the CERN FCC-ee collaboration.

Published 12 Sep 2024 60% · INFN
CNTT Approved · Nov 2025

4th invention — single-component PEP solution. Effective on copper, steel, zinc alloys, nickel, chromium, and additive manufacturing parts — outperforming all existing INFN portfolio patents. Invention Communication submitted 22 Nov 2025. Patenting in progress.

Career

Professional
experience

Over eight years of hands-on research at the intersection of accelerator physics, surface science, and quantum technology.

May 2023 — present
Level III Technologist (Tecnologo di III livello)
INFN — Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro
R&D Coordinator, Chemical Treatments Department. Leading PEP scale-up for FCC-ee (TRL raised from 4 to 7, treated area from a few cm² to 1500 cm²). Co-producing 3D QubIT cavities for Italy's quantum computing programme (NQSTI/PNRR). Supervising 1–3 collaborators; managing national and European project tasks.
Jun 2022 — May 2023
Technological Research Fellow
INFN-LNL · bando n. 24379/2022
PEP technology development for SRF cavities. Filing of two INFN patents on PEP electrolytic solutions. Full RF validation on 1.3 GHz Cu cavity in CERN-KEK-INFN collaboration.
Jun 2019 — Jun 2022
Technological Research Fellow
INFN-LNL · bando n. 20574/2018
First-ever application of PEP to SRF cavities. Surface treatments for ESS DTL components; quality control via SEM/EDAX/XRD. First patent filing for Nb PEP solution. Treatment of 6 GHz cavities, QWR, DTL, spiral cavities and QPR samples for iFAST & TeFeN projects.
Jun 2018 — Jun 2019
Research Scholarship
INFN-LNL · bando n. 19831/2018
Chemical and electrochemical treatments for thin-film SRF cavities and RF components. Designed and built a sputtering system from scratch. Surface characterisation on planar substrates and 6 GHz elliptical cavities.
Apr 2017 — Mar 2018
Project Collaboration Researcher
CFR (operative base: INFN-LNL)
R&D on chemical and electrochemical treatments for accelerator components. Cleaning, polishing, anodising, and annealing on real accelerator parts.
Jun 2014 — Dec 2014
Project Collaboration Engineer
Collini GmbH (base: NTUU "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute")
Development of nickel-alloy anti-corrosion coatings for tropical climate resistance; focus on durability and mechanical properties.
Education

Academic background

Oct 2019 — Jun 2023
PhD — Materials Science & Nanotechnology Engineering
Università degli Studi di Padova
Thesis: "Plasma Electrolytic Polishing and Vibrotumbling as innovative surface treatments for Superconducting Radiofrequency Cavities"
Sep 2016 — Jun 2018
MSc — Chemical Technology & Engineering
NTUU "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" · 100/100 cum laude
Thesis: "Chemical and Electrochemical Treatments of Copper coating for Particle Accelerators"
Feb 2017 — Jun 2018
1st Level Master — Surface Treatments for Industry
Università degli Studi di Padova
Thesis: "Chemical and electrochemical treatments for accelerating cavities"
Sep 2012 — Jun 2016
BSc — Chemical Technology
NTU "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" · 96/100
Thesis: "Electroplated coatings in machine building — cadmium protective coatings on small metal parts"
Dissemination

Selected invited talks
& conference presentations

Invited plenary speaker at every major international workshop in the SRF field since 2021.

2025
SEP
Invited · Plenary oral
Plasma Electrolytic Polishing of 1.3 GHz cavities
SRF2025 — 22nd International Conference on RF Superconductivity
Ito International Research Center, Tokyo, Japan
2025
FEB
Oral (parallel)
Development of SC cavities for qubits and quantum memories
2nd National Congress NQSTI
Rome, Italy
2024
SEP
Invited · Plenary oral
Plasma Electrolytic Polishing for SRF
TFSRF2024 — 11th Workshop on Thin Films & New Ideas for RF Superconductivity
Université Paris-Saclay, France
2024
NOV
Invited oral (parallel)
Updates on plasma electropolishing scaling to large surfaces
TTC2024 Meeting @ ESS Workshop
Lund, Sweden
2022
SEP
Invited · Plenary oral
Recent advancements on Plasma Electrolytic Polishing technique
TFSRF'22 — 10th Workshop on Thin Films & New Ideas for RF Superconductivity
Newport News, Virginia, USA
2021
MAR
Invited · Plenary oral
PEP technology as a modern, powerful, and green way to prepare SRF surfaces
TFSRF'21 — 9th Workshop on Thin Films applied to SRF
Newport News, Virginia, USA (virtual)
Get in touch

Let's collaborate

Open to research collaborations, technology transfer inquiries, invited talks, and academic partnerships in surface science and accelerator technology.

Location
Legnaro (PD), Italy
Curriculum Vitae
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