Shimmed matching pulses: simultaneous control of rf and static gradients for inhomogeneity correction

Portable NMR systems generally suffer from poor field homogeneity and are therefore used more commonly for imaging and relaxation measurements rather than for spectroscopy. In recent years, various approaches have been proposed to increase the sample volume that is usable for spectroscopy. These include approaches based on manual shimming and those based on clever combinations of modulated radio frequency and gradient fields. However, this volume remains small and, therefore, of limited utility. We present improved pulses designed to correct for inhomogeneous dispersion across wide ranges of frequency offsets without eliminating chemical shift or spatial encoding. This method, based on the adiabatic double passage, combines the relatively larger corrections available from spatially matched rf gradients [C. Meriles et al., J. Magn. Reson. 164, 177 (2003)]. with the adjustable corrections available from time-modulated static field gradients [D. Topgaard et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 17576 (2004)]. We explain the origins of these corrections with a theoretical model that simplifies and expedites the design of the pulse waveforms. We also present a generalized method for evaluating and comparing pulses designed for inhomogeneity correction. Experiments validate this method and support simulations that offer new possibilities for significantly enhanced performance in portable environments.