Superlubric-pinned transition in sliding incommensurate colloidal monolayers

Superlubric to stick-slip sliding of incommensurate graphene flakes on graphite

Static and dynamic friction in sliding colloidal monolayers.

In a pioneer experiment, Bohlein et al. realized the controlled sliding of two-dimensional colloidal crystals over laser-generated periodic or quasi-periodic potentials. Here we present realistic simulations and arguments that besides reproducing the main experimentally observed features give a first theoretical demonstration of the potential impact of colloid sliding in nanotribology. The free...

Subharmonic Shapiro steps of sliding colloidal monolayers in optical lattices.

We investigate theoretically the possibility to observe dynamical mode locking, in the form of Shapiro steps, when a time-periodic potential or force modulation is applied to a two-dimensional (2D) lattice of colloidal particles that are dragged by an external force over an optically generated periodic potential. Here we present realistic molecular dynamics simulations of a 2D experimental setu...

Hysteresis in Dynamically Pinned Sliding States

We analyse the occurrence of bistability and hysteretical behavior in the underdamped motion of a simple one-dimensional lubricated friction model inspired by the tribological problem of two incommensurate sliding surfaces with a thin sheet interposed. This system was recently found to possess exact velocity plateaus for large parameters intervals, showing a remarkable quantization of the cente...

Principles of atomic friction: from sticking atoms to superlubric sliding.

Tribology-the science of friction, wear and lubrication-is of great importance for all technical applications where moving bodies are in contact. Nonetheless, little progress has been made in finding an exact atomistic description of friction since Amontons proposed his empirical macroscopic laws over three centuries ago. The advent of new experimental tools such as the friction force microscop...