Investigation of Optimal Readout Frequency for the Non-Uniform B0 (NuBo) Field Cycling (FC) Scanner

Motivation: The field cycling (FC) scanner introduces an extra degree of freedom for adjusting the B0 field strength during both polarization and readout. However, the ideal readout Larmor frequency remains unexplored. Goal(s): To investigate the optimal readout Larmor frequency for the non-uniform B0 (NuBo) scanner regarding SNR, T2*, and T2 dephasing. Approach: Controlled experiments at two Larmor frequencies, 1MHz and 2MHz, were conducted. Echo trains at these two frequencies were acquired. Results: Results show that readout at a lower Larmor frequency could benefit from a longer echo train, and longer T2*, but with the penalty of a smaller initial signal amplitude. Impact: This research conducted a comparison of the trade-off between SNR, T2* and T2 decay across various readout Larmor frequencies, potentially offering insights for researchers in the field of field cycling in the future.