Tutorial on x-ray microLaue diffraction

MicroLaue diffraction combines the oldest x-ray diffraction method–Laue diffraction–with the most modern x-ray sources, optics and detectors. The combination can resolve complex materials into single-crystal-like submicron volumes. This unique ability to nondestructively map crystal structure at and below a sample surface, with high spatial and strain resolution can address long-standing fundamental issues in materials science. For example, the three-dimensional evolution of mesoscale structure and the self organization of defects can be observed nondestructively to understand the origins of inhomogeneous grain growth, deformation and fracture.