High resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of small animals requires generally higher static magnetic field (up to 20 T) than those used for clinical applications (1,5 and 3 T) in order to reach a satisfactory signal to noise ratio (SNR). An alternative can be the use of miniature surface coils made of high temperature superconducting (HTS) material. However, several issues remain with such coils and limit their use at a large scale. In this work we present the theoretical and experimental development of a miniature HTS surface coil dedicated to mouse brain imaging at 4.7 T.The first chapter presents 3D electromagnetic simulations to design monolithic self-resonant structures with very high quality factors (≈105) using a commercial software (CST-Microwave Studio). In contrast to an analytical model, a numerical model allows to handle the complex geometry of the coil and its cryogenic environment, which may influence notably the radiofrequency characteristics of the coil.The second chapter presents a study of the coupled effects of the static magnetic field B0 (from 0 to 4,7 T) and temperature (from 66 to 80 K) on the electrical properties of a HTS coil in the frequency range involved in MRI, for which HTS properties have been poorly studied. This study shows that deleterious effects of B0 on coil sensitivity can be partially compensated by a moderate decrease of its working temperature. An original cryogenic system was designed to enable temperature regulation avoiding the use of more complex systems that limit the use of HTS coils for MRI experiments.The third chapter presents MRI results obtained at 4.7 T using a small HTS surface coil. The 6 mm coil has been optimized for best SNR performances and in order to be integrated in a 4-element coil array in a future refinement. A 4.5 fold SNR enhancement as compared to the one achieved using a copper coil with the same geometry was demonstrated. This work provides the first in-vivo imaging of a mouse brain using a HTS coil at a B0 value higher than 3 T. Arrays made of such coils will allow to perform very high resolution imaging of the complete mouse brain at 4.7 T with SNR values that are comparable to those achieved at the highest B0 fields accessible today.
