Dislocations and stacking faults

The properties of linear defects in crystals (dislocation lines) and of planar defects (stacking faults) are important in almost every branch of solid state physics. This article is intended to give a comprehensive introduction to dislocation theory for the physicist who is not a specialist in crystal plasticity. It begins with a survey of the established theory relating to the geometrical and topological properties of dislocations, the elastic theory of dislocations in a continuum, the atomistic or core properties of dislocations, and the dynamics of moving dislocations. General methods for finding the elastic field of an arbitrary dislocation loop are outlined, and the results of some recent calculations using anisotropic elasticity are summarized. These include the prediction, partially confirmed by experiment, that dislocations in certain ranges of orientation may have negative line tension. The current importance of atomistic calculations of core structure and related problems is emphasized, and the methods available for these calculations are discussed.