Multiple Slips in Atomic-Scale Friction: An Indicator for the Lateral Contact Damping

Friction at the Atomic Scale

Everyone learns the basics of friction in high-school physics classes: the friction force experienced by a sliding object is proportional to the normal force that an object exerts on a surface. Remarkably, this extremely simple and empirical relation, known as Amontons’ Law, is still often used in creating the most technologically sophisticated machines and devices, even though friction is know...

Control of friction on the atomic scale

“The modern world depends upon the smooth and satisfactory operation of countless tribological systems.” B.N.J. Persson Measuring and controlling friction on the atomic scale is the main goal of this thesis. Nowadays, fundamental studies of friction on nanometer-scale are mandatory, since frictional forces become more and more relevant as the scale of nanoelectromechanical devices is reduced. D...

Atomic-scale friction control by vibration using friction force microscope

Manipulation of friction at the nanoscale has been traditionally approached by chemical means (lubrication). Recent friction force microscopy (FFM) experiments demonstrated that it can be done mechanically by applying vibration to accessible elements of the system. This paper provides analytic understanding on why vibration can reduce friction based on a 1D model imitating the FFM tip moving on...

Simulations of atomic-scale sliding friction.

Quantum Coherent Multielectron Processes in an Atomic Scale Contact.

The light emission from a scanning tunneling microscope operated on a Ag(111) surface at 6 K is analyzed from low conductances to values approaching the conductance quantum. Optical spectra recorded at sample voltages V reveal emission with photon energies hν>2eV. A model of electrons interacting coherently via a localized plasmon-polariton mode reproduces the experimental data, in particular, ...