Thermal Effects on Atomic Friction

Yi Sang, Martin Dubé, and Martin Grant
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 174301 – Published 8 October 2001
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Abstract

We model friction acting on the tip of an atomic force microscope as it is dragged across a surface at nonzero temperatures. We find that stick-slip motion occurs and that the average frictional force follows |lnv|2/3, where v is the tip velocity. This compares well to recent experimental work, permitting the quantitative extraction of all microscopic parameters. We calculate the scaled form of the average frictional force’s dependence on both temperature and tip speed as well as the form of the friction-force distribution function.

  • Received 18 June 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.174301

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Yi Sang, Martin Dubé, and Martin Grant

  • Centre for the Physics of Materials, Physics Department, Rutherford Building, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2T8 Canada

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Issue

Vol. 87, Iss. 17 — 22 October 2001

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