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Schirmeisen A, Weiner D, Fuchs H. Single-atom contact mechanics: from atomic scale energy barrier to mechanical relaxation hysteresis. Phys Rev Lett. 2006;97(13):136101doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101.
Schirmeisen, A., Weiner, D., & Fuchs, H. (2006). Single-atom contact mechanics: from atomic scale energy barrier to mechanical relaxation hysteresis. Physical review letters, 97(13), 136101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101
Schirmeisen, André, et al. "Single-atom contact mechanics: from atomic scale energy barrier to mechanical relaxation hysteresis." Physical review letters vol. 97,13 (2006): 136101. doi: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101
Schirmeisen A, Weiner D, Fuchs H. Single-atom contact mechanics: from atomic scale energy barrier to mechanical relaxation hysteresis. Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Sep 29;97(13):136101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101. Epub 2006 Sep 25. PMID: 17026048.
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Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Sep 29;97(13):136101. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101. Epub 2006 Sep 25.

Single-atom contact mechanics: from atomic scale energy barrier to mechanical relaxation hysteresis.

Physical review letters

André Schirmeisen, Domenique Weiner, Harald Fuchs

Affiliations

  1. Physikalisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, 48149 Münster, Germany. [email protected]

PMID: 17026048 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.136101

Abstract

The potential energy landscape of surfaces governs the dynamics of adsorbed molecules, as well as atomic scale friction processes. We measure the potential energy landscape of a single-atom tip interacting with a vicinal nonconducting NaCl(100) surface in real space using noncontact atomic force microscopy. We find that the shape of the potential energy profile is of sinusoidal form with a barrier height of 48 meV. Furthermore, we observe a discontinuity in the force curves at specific lattice sites, indicating the onset of reversible yet hysteretic mechanical relaxations.

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