On edge dislocation in a multilayered laminate

We investigate the elastic field induced by an edge dislocation in a multilayered laminated composite composed of (N − 2) thin bonded elastic layers sandwiched between two semi-infinite elastic media. A simple closed-form solution is obtained when all the phases have equal shear modulus but different Poisson's ratios, and when the dislocation is located in the upper semi-infinite phase. The image force acting on the dislocation due to its interaction with the multilayered structure is also derived. Several specific examples are discussed in detail to illustrate the mobility of the edge dislocation. Some interesting behaviors of the dislocation are observed. Our results indicate that it is possible to find at most (N − 2) equilibrium positions for the edge dislocation in an N-phase composite structure.