Synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction reveals rotational plastic deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline thin films

Understanding the mechanical response of polycrystalline materials on the mesoscopic scale remains a challenge as it is largely determined by grain-to-grain interactions and the discrete underlying microstructure. We conducted in situ synchrotron Laue microdiffraction experiments to map local strain tensors and orientations over polycrystalline thin gold films for different applied biaxial strain states. The experimental results demonstrate stress relaxation to be accompanied by cooperative transport of dislocation density leading to rotational plastic deformation heterogeneities. We propose a disclination model of closed dislocation walls and consider the geometry of transformations corresponding to a Burgers circuit enclosing the multipole disclination configuration. The observed stress-driven rotational deformation of the grain is shown to be described by the change in rotational closure failure associated with a Burgers circuit around the multipole disclination configuration. This concept is further advanced in a non-Euclidian geometry to demonstrate that the observed microrotation is captured by higher-order gradients in a micropolar continuum theory.