Nanotribology of a Kr monolayer: A quartz-crystal microbalance study of atomic-scale friction

Abstract

A quartz-crystal microbalance has been utilized to probe sliding-friction effects in Kr monolayers undergoing solidification on Au and Ag surfaces. Solid layers are observed to be far more sensitive to surface morphology than liquids. The behavior of liquid layers is consistent with a frictional force whose magnitude is a nonlinear function of the sliding velocity.