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A theoretical analysis of torque and superlubric motion in bilayer graphene disks

  • Engineering Science
  • Published:
Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences

Abstract

To identify the relation between torque and superlubric motion, we investigate the interlayer sliding behavior of two graphene disks with numerical computation methods. The potential energy, lateral force and torque between the top and bottom graphene disks, which are associated with misfit angle, translational displacement and interlayer distance, are analyzed. The results show that the rotation of the top disk is feeble for commensurate state, but it is difficult to realize superlubricity due to the lateral force fluctuating remarkably. For incommensurate state, the flake exhibits vanishing torque approaching to zero only for partial sliding directions. The superlubricity between the top and bottom disks will be eliminated due to torque-induced reorientation along other sliding directions. Whether for commensurate or incommensurate contact, the amplitudes of the lateral force (516 pN and 13 pN, respectively) are in qualitative agreement with experimental observation (typically 250 pN and 50 pN, respectively). It shows that the interlayer torque is insensitive to the top disk size with incommensurate contact. The results suggest that the superlubric motion of graphene disk can be controlled by adjusting the torque.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Advanced Study, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, Jiangxi, China

    Jianwen Li & Nianhua Liu

  2. School of Science, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, 330099, Jiangxi, China

    Jianwen Li

Authors
  1. Jianwen Li
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  2. Nianhua Liu
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Correspondence to Nianhua Liu.

Additional information

Foundation item: Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (2013CB934200), the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10832005) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11264030)

Biography: LI Jianwen, male, Ph. D. candidate, research direction: nanosurface science and engineering.

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Li, J., Liu, N. A theoretical analysis of torque and superlubric motion in bilayer graphene disks. Wuhan Univ. J. Nat. Sci. 20, 173–179 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-015-1077-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-015-1077-x

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