Dynamic X-ray coherent diffraction analysis: bridging the timescales between imaging and photon correlation spectroscopy

Abstract: The advent of diffraction limited sources and developments in detector technology opens up new possibilities for the study of materials in situ and operando. Coherent X-ray diffraction techniques such as coherent X-ray diffractive imaging (CXDI) and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) are capable for this purpose and provide complimentary information, although due to signal-to-noise requirements, their simultaneous demonstration has been limited. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for the simultaneous use of CXDI and XPCS to study in situ the Brownian motion of colloidal gold nanoparticles of 200 nm diameter suspended in a glycerol-water mixture. We visualise the process of agglomeration, examine the spatiotemporal space accessible with the combination of techniques, and demonstrate CXDI with 22 ms temporal resolution.