The Production and Testing of Electrode Grids for the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, looking for the elastic scattering of dark matter WIMPs, is a liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC) that crucially relies upon strong and uniform electric fields throughout its volume. These fields are created by grids of stainless steel wire acting as electrodes at four locations in the vessel. The production of these grids has presented several engineering challenges due to the demanding design requirements, including their high voltage performance, need for high optical transparency and low electron emission, and their impressive size at nearly six feet across. After production, each grid is evaluated for high voltage performance through a testing procedure. This talk will review the status of the production and testing of the grids.