A fading effect in the X-ray diffraction contrast of dislocations

Fringes in the dislocation image in X-ray section topography are shown to fade away partially when unpolarized radiation is used. The fading effect is explained in terms of an analogy with the polarization beat in a wedge crystal. The polarization nature of the phenomenon is confirmed through numerical simulations of the contrast.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Ulrich Bonse on the occasion of his 60th birthday