Quality factor measurement and enhancement techniques for ultra-high field surface loop receiver coils

Motivation: There exists a discrepancy between simulated coil array SNR and experimentally obtained SNR which must be reconciled. Goal(s): To develop useful bench measurements and simulations to predict experimental fraction of ultimate intrinsic SNR achievable with a given practical coil construction. Approach: We propose bench measurements and simulation workflow to identify sources of SNR loss and propose practical strategies to mitigate these losses. Results: Bench measurements and simulations match closely and we provide plots of Q-ratios and fraction of ideal SNR for various coil sizes at 7T and 10.5T. Impact: Bench measurements and simulation results of Q-ratio and SNR fraction vs coil size shared herein provide a useful guide to coil builders in understanding potential sources of SNR losses and estimating those losses in ultra-high field RF coil development.