Gradient echo single scan inversion recovery: application to proton and fluorine relaxation studies

Abstract Single scan longitudinal relaxation measurement experiments enable rapid estimation of the spin‐lattice relaxation time (T 1 ) as the time series of spin relaxation is encoded spatially in the sample at different slices resulting in an order of magnitude saving in time. We consider here a single scan inversion recovery pulse sequence that incorporates a gradient echo sequence. The proposed pulse sequence provides spectra with significantly enhanced signal to noise ratio leading to an accurate estimation of T 1 values. The method is applicable for measuring a range of T 1 values, thus indicating the possibility of routine use of the method for several systems. A comparative study of different single scan methods currently available is presented, and the advantage of the proposed sequence is highlighted. The possibility of the use of the method for the study of cross‐correlation effects for the case of fluorine in a single shot is also demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.