Berlin 2008 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help
O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 65: Methods: Theory and Experiment
O 65.9: Talk
Thursday, February 28, 2008, 14:00–14:15, MA 141
Dynamic superlubricity on insulating and conductive surfaces — Enrico Gnecco1, •Pascal Steiner1, Anisoara Socoliuc2, Sabine Maier3, Thilo Glatzel1, Jonas Gessler1, Alexis Baratoff1, and Ernst Meyer1 — 1Department of Physics, Klingelbergstr. 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland — 2Nanonis GmbH, Technoparkstr. 1, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland — 3Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Friction between a sharp silicon tip and various atomically flat surfaces (NaCl, KBr, graphite, mica) is minimised by piezo-induced oscillations at well-defined resonance frequencies. This procedure extends an electro-capacitive way to achieve the same effect, which was recently introduced by our group and tested on insulating alkali halide crystals in ultra-high vacuum [1]. A controlled reduction of friction is observed now also on conductive surfaces like graphite, and in ambient conditions, which is quite promising for technological applications to micro-electromechanical devices. The theory previously used to interpret 'dynamic superlubricity' under general conditions is supported by new experimental observations showing that the contact between tip and sample is well maintained when the oscillations are applied.
[1] A. Socoliuc et al., Science, Vol. 313, 207 (2006).