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Jauch – Design and Construction of a High-Q Resonator for MRI at Ultralow Magnetic Field Strengths

 

Design and Construction of a High-Q Resonator for MRI at Ultralow Magnetic Field Strengths (2024)

Undergraduate: Nikolas Jauch


Faculty Advisor: Rosa Branca
Department: Physics and Astronomy

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy are typically conducted at high magnetic fields (> 1 Tesla), which are generated by expensive superconducting coils. The use of low magnetic field strengths could greatly simplify the instrumentation and reduce its cost, making NMR and MRI more accessible, especially in resource-limited settings. Yet, MRI at low field strengths poses a primary challenge due to the relatively low thermal nuclear spin polarization achievable at low field, which directly translates in noisy MR images and spectra. As part of this project, I constructed and tested a high-quality resonator that selectively enhances the nuclear spin signal while suppressing ambient noise. This coil, along with other modifications currently ongoing in our lab, are expected to significantly improve the quality of images and spectra acquired at ultra-low field strengths.