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  • Observation of microscale s...
    Liu, Ze; Yang, Jiarui; Grey, Francois; Liu, Jefferson Zhe; Liu, Yilun; Wang, Yibing; Yang, Yanlian; Cheng, Yao; Zheng, Quanshui

    Physical review letters, 05/2012, Letnik: 108, Številka: 20
    Journal Article

    Upon shearing a microscale lithographically defined graphite mesa, the sheared section retracts spontaneously to minimize interface energy. Here, we demonstrate a sixfold symmetry of the self-retraction and provide a first experimental estimate of the frictional force involved, as direct evidence that the self-retraction is due to superlubricity, where ultralow friction occurs between incommensurate surfaces. The effect is remarkable because it occurs reproducibly under ambient conditions and over a contact area of up to 10×10  μm2, more than 7 orders of magnitude larger than previous scanning-probe-based studies of superlubricity in graphite. By analyzing the sheared interface, we show how the grain structure of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite determines the probability of self-retraction. Our results demonstrate that such self-retraction provides a novel probe of superlubricity, and the robustness of the phenomenon opens the way for practical applications of superlubricity in micromechanical systems.