2004/03/24 by Martin Dienwiebel, Gertjan S. Verhoeven, Namboodiri Pradeep +3 · 10 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Engineering · #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.92.126101
openalex publication_date 2004/03/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Using a home-built frictional force microscope that is able to detect forces in three dimensions with a lateral force resolution down to 15 pN, we have studied the energy dissipation between a tungsten tip sliding over a graphite surface in dry contact. By measuring atomic-scale friction as a function of the rotational angle between two contacting bodies, we show that the origin of the ultralow friction of graphite lies in the incommensurability between rotated graphite layers, an effect proposed under the name of "superlubricity" [Phys. Rev. B 41, 11 837 (1990)]].