State-of-the art superconducting accelerator magnets

With the LHC the technology of NbTi-based accelerator magnets has been pushed to the limit. By operating in superfluid helium, magnetic fields in excess of 10 T have been reached in various one meter-long model magnets while full scale magnets, 15 meter-long dipoles, have demonstrated possibility of safe operation in the 8.3-9 tesla range, with the necessary, very tight, field accuracy. The paper reviews the key points of the technology that has permitted the construction of the largest existing superconducting installations (Fermilab, Desy and Brokhaven), highlighting the novelties of the design of the LHC dipoles, quadrupoles and other superconducting magnets. All together the LHC project will need more than 5000 km of fine filament superconducting cables capable of 14 kA @ 10 T, 1.9 K.