Establishing topological benchmarks for three-dimensional x-ray diffraction microscopy

A quantitative characterization of 3D topology is paramount for understanding microstructure and its time-evolution. This Perspective establishes a framework to evaluate the accuracy of emergent 3D x-ray diffraction microscopy (3DXRD) methods in capturing topological features, such as the grain boundaries, triple-junctions, and their correlations over topological distance. As a case study, we compare reconstructions from synchrotron- and laboratory-based x-ray diffraction tomography. We find the laboratory technique distorts connectivity of grains, and these discrepancies propagate over larger topological distances. By benchmarking these techniques against simulations and theory, we highlight the strengths and limitations of 3DXRD methods for 3D grain topology reconstruction.