Atomic scale friction between clean graphite surfaces

Abstract

We investigate atomic scale friction between clean graphite surfaces by using molecular dynamics. The simulation reproduces atomic scale stick-slip motion and a low frictional coefficient, both of which are observed in experiments using frictional force microscope. It is made clear that the microscopic origin of low frictional coefficients of graphite lies on the honeycomb structure of each layer, not only on the weak interlayer interaction as believed so far.