Model calculations of superlubricity of graphite

Abstract

In this paper, friction between a finite, nanometer-sized, rigid graphite flake and a rigid graphite surface is analyzed theoretically in the framework of a modified Tomlinson model. Lateral forces are studied as a function of orientational misfit between flake and surface lattices, pulling direction of the flake, flake size and flake shape. The calculations show that the orientation dependence of the friction provides information on the contact size and shape. We find good agreement between the calculations and the experimental results, discussed in a recent publication by Dienwiebel et al. [M. Dienwiebel, G. S. Verhoeven, N. Pradeep, J. W. M. Frenken, J. A. Heimberg, and H. W. Zandbergen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 126101 (2004)].