Kinks and Nanofriction: Structural Phases in Few-Atom Chains
Abstract
The frictional dynamics of interacting surfaces under forced translation are critically dependent on lattice commensurability. Performing experiments in a trapped-ion friction emulator, we observe two distinct structural and frictional phases: a commensurate high-friction phase where the ions stick-slip simultaneously over the lattice, and an incommensurate low-friction phase where the propagation of a kink breaks that simultaneity. We experimentally track the kink's propagation with atom-by-atom and sub-lattice site resolution, and show that its velocity increases with commensurability. Our results elucidate the commensurate-incommensurate transition and the connection between the appearance of kinks and the reduction of friction in a finite system, with important consequences for controlling friction at nanocontacts.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1910.07088,
title = {Kinks and Nanofriction: Structural Phases in Few-Atom Chains},
author = {Dorian A. Gangloff and Alexei Bylinskii and Vladan Vuletić},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.07088},
year = {2020}
}