Millisecond dynamics of colloidal suspension studied by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) has emerged as a powerful tool for probing the nanoscale dynamics of soft condensed matter and strongly correlated materials owing to its high spatial resolution and penetration capabilities. This technique requires high brilliance and beam coherence, which are not directly available at modern synchrotron beamlines in China. To facilitate future XPCS experiments, we modified the optical setup of the newly commissioned BL10U1 USAXS beamline at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Subsequently, we performed XPCS measurements on silica suspensions in glycerol, which were opaque owing to their high concentrations. Images were collected using a high frame rate area detector. A comprehensive analysis was performed, yielding correlation functions and several key dynamic parameters. All the results were consistent with the theory of Brownian motion and demonstrated the feasibility of XPCS at SSRF. Finally, by carefully optimizing the setup and analyzing the algorithms, we achieved a time resolution of 2 ms, which enabled the characterization of millisecond dynamics in opaque systems.