Study of stress gradients using synchrotron X-ray diffraction

Steep residual stress gradients typically are present in those areas where strong deformation inhomogeneities exist, for example, in the vicinity of notches or at interfaces between different materials. Also thin films due to the boundary condition

σijnj = 0 (2)

at the free surface often are subject to steep residual stress gradients. In equation (2), n denotes the normal to the surface.