Researchers made an important observation about nanoscale friction.
A research team noticed a "strong energy loss" that occurred when friction reacted with nearby charged density waves, a University of Basal news release reported.
This discovery could be important to future innovation in nanoscale friction control.
Friction can be problematic in many settings because it tends to lead to "wear" and energy loss. Too little friction can also be an issue; for example, when one is driving on a slippery road.
The scientists hope this new research will help them learn how to better-control friction on a nanoscale level.
The researchers used a nanometer-fine tip of an atomic force microscope on the "the surface of a layer structure of niobium and selenium atoms vibrate," the news release reported.
They found charge-density waves formed at extremely low temperatures. They also noticed that the electron distribution was not uniform throughout the metal, but reactions occurred in areas where the electron density ranged between high and low.
In the areas containing charge density waves the researchers noticed there was an extreme rate of energy loss between the surface and tip of the atomic force microscope. This phenomenon was observed even when the distance was relatively large.
"The drop in energy was so strong, as if the tip suddenly caught in a viscous fluid," Basel experimental physicist Professor Ernst Meyer said in the news release, referring to the effect of friction.
The researchers were only able to observe the reaction at a temperature of 70 Kelvin (about 333 degrees Fahrenheit). Charge waves are not believed to be possible at higher temperatures.
The team determined the experiment provided evidence that "frictional forces between measuring needle tip and charge density waves cause the energy losses," the news release reported.
The finding could have important implications for the future of nanotechnology.
