Underdamped commensurate dynamics in a driven Frenkel-Kontorova-type model.

Abstract

The dynamics of a Frenkel-Kontorova chain subject to a substrate potential with a multiple-well structure and driven by an external dc force is studied in the underdamped regime. Making a rational choice among the three inherent length scales characterizing the system allows us to consider the possible formation of commensurate structures during sliding over the complex on-site potential. We comment both on the nature of the particle dynamics in the vicinity of the pinning-depinning transition point, and on the dynamical states displayed during the chain motion at different strengths of the dc driving. Varying the number of particles in the simulations allows us to consider, on a multiple-well substrate, the role played by the coverage variable on the depinning mechanism. The dependence of the minimal force required to initiate the chain motion (static friction) on the ratio of the model interaction strengths is analyzed and compared to the well-known case of the standard Frenkel-Kontorova model, which has only two inherent lengths.