Critical length limiting super-low friction

Since the demonstration of super-low friction (superlubricity) in graphite at nanoscale, one of the main challenges in the field of nano- and micro-mechanics was to scale this phenomenon up. A key question to be addressed is to what extent superlubricity could persist, and what mechanisms could lead to its failure. Here, using an edge-driven Frenkel-Kontorova model, we establish a connection between the critical length above which superlubricity disappears and both intrinsic material properties and experimental parameters. A striking boost in dissipated energy with chain length emerges abruptly due to a high-friction stick-slip mechanism caused by deformation of the slider leading to a local commensuration with the substrate lattice. We derived a parameter-free analytical model for the critical length that is in excellent agreement with our numerical simulations. Our results provide a new perspective on friction and nano-manipulation and can serve as a theoretical basis for designing nano-devices with super-low friction, such as carbon nanotubes.