Okabayashi N, Frederiksen T, Liebig A, Giessibl FJ. Dynamic Friction Unraveled by Observing an Unexpected Intermediate State in Controlled Molecular Manipulation.
Phys Rev Lett 2023;
131:148001. [PMID:
37862665 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.131.148001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
The pervasive phenomenon of friction has been studied at the nanoscale via a controlled manipulation of single atoms and molecules with a metallic tip, which enabled a precise determination of the static friction force necessary to initiate motion. However, little is known about the atomic dynamics during manipulation. Here, we reveal the complete manipulation process of a CO molecule on a Cu(110) surface at low temperatures using a combination of noncontact atomic force microscopy and density functional theory simulations. We found that an intermediate state, inaccessible for the far-tip position, is enabled in the reaction pathway for the close-tip position, which is crucial to understanding the manipulation process, including dynamic friction. Our results show how friction forces can be controlled and optimized, facilitating new fundamental insights for tribology.
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