Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 066104 (2010) [4 pages]Multibond Dynamics of Nanoscale Friction: The Role of TemperatureReceived 15 October 2009; published 12 February 2010 The main challenge in predicting sliding friction is related to the complexity of highly nonequilibrium processes, the kinetics of which are controlled by the interface temperature. Our experiments reveal a nonmonotonic enhancement of dry nanoscale friction at cryogenic temperatures for different material classes. Concerted simulations show that it emerges from two competing processes acting at the interface: the thermally activated formation as well as rupturing of an ensemble of atomic contacts. These results provide a new conceptual framework to describe the dynamics of dry friction. © 2010 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.066104
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.066104
PACS:
68.35.Af, 07.79.Sp, 46.55.+d
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