Tuning super-lubricity (IMAGE)
Caption
Schematic illustration of the atomic force microscopy-based (AFM) nanoscale friction test setup. A silicon AFM probe (covered with native oxide) slides on the graphite (0001) basal plane. The normal load between the silicon tip and the graphite surface is applied via bending the cantilever. While the probe is moving along the red arrows, the cantilever twists due to the friction force at the contact point between the silicon tip and the graphite surface. The degree of the twisting reflects the magnitude of the friction force. Gas molecules impinging from the environmental phase adsorb to the silicon tip surface and influence the interfacial friction.
Credit
Elizabeth Flores-Gomez Murray/Penn State and Zhe Chen/Zhejiang University
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License
CC BY-NC-ND