Amplitude Nanofriction Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a combined experimental and simulation method to study atomic scale friction, capturing the entire process from static pinning to steady state sliding using oscillatory shear force, revealing new insights into nanorheology.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach that enables one-shot investigation of all phases of atomic scale friction, bridging the gap between depinning and high-speed sliding.

Findings

Uncovered phenomena linking depinning to large speed sliding.

Demonstrated method with gold nanocontacts on graphite.

Potential implications for atomic scale rheology.

Abstract

Atomic scale friction, an indispensable element of nanotechnology, requires a direct access to, under actual growing shear stress, its successive live phases: from static pinning, to depinning and transient evolution, eventually ushering in steady state kinetic friction. Standard tip-based atomic force microscopy generally addresses the steady state, but the prior intermediate steps are much less explored. Here we present an experimental and simulation approach, where an oscillatory shear force of increasing amplitude leads to a one-shot investigation of all these successive aspects. Demonstration with controlled gold nanocontacts sliding on graphite uncovers phenomena that bridge the gap between initial depinning and large speed sliding, of potential relevance for atomic scale time and magnitude dependent rheology.