We report the experience of the production, processing and qualification testing of the superconducting radio frequency cavities at 3.9 GHz for the third harmonic system at the European XFEL (EXFEL) injector. The rf structure concept, originally developed for the FLASH FEL facility, was adapted to the new interfaces provided by the EXFEL design and the cavities were procured from a qualified vendor, delivered ready for the testing at the INFN infrastructure. A total of 23 cavities, three prototypes and two batches of 10, have been realized and tested up to specifications.

Nb₃Sn is emerging as one of the focal points in superconducting radio frequency (SRF) research, owing to its excellent superconducting properties. These properties hold significant possibilities for cost reduction and the miniaturization of accelerators. In this paper, we report the recent efforts of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) in fabricating high-performance Nb₃Sn superconducting cavities using the vapor diffusion method. This includes the construction of a Nb₃Sn coating system with dual evaporators and the test results of 1.3 GHz single-cell coated cavities. The coated samples were characterized, and the growth state of the Nb₃Sn films was analyzed. The first coated superconducting cavity was tested at both 4.4 K and 2 K, with different cooldown rates passing through the Nb₃Sn critical temperatures. The causes of Sn droplet spot defect formation on the surface of the first cavity were analyzed, and such defects were eliminated in the coating of the second cavity by controlling the evaporation rate. This study provides a reference for the preparation of high-performance Nb₃Sn-coated cavities using the vapor diffusion method, including the setup of the coating system, the comprehension of the vapor diffusion process, and the test conditions.