Method for magnetic resonance imaging with controlled aliasing

A method for directing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to form echo signals from spins in a volume-of-interest, the steps of the method comprising:

• directing the MRI system to perform a pulse sequence that includes:
• i) generating a radio frequency (RF) field that rotates a net magnetic moment of spins in a volume-of-interest;
• ii) applying a readout magnetic field gradient to the volume-of-interest;
• iii) applying a first alternating magnetic field gradient along a first spatial direction;
• iv) applying a second alternating magnetic field gradient along a second spatial direction that is orthogonal to the first spatial direction;
• and
• wherein the readout magnetic field, the first alternating magnetic field gradient, and the second alternating magnetic field gradient are applied substantially contemporaneously after the RF field is generated so as to form an echo signal that includes spatial frequency information that is aliased in a pattern that distributes the aliased spatial frequency information in three dimensions in k-space.