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Stick-slip friction at the atomic scale: A model for van der Waals epitaxial strain

Ji Guo1,2, Humberto Batiz1,2, Joel W. Ager, III1,2, Ali Javey3,2, and D. C. Chrzan1,2,*

  • *Contact author: dcchrzan@berkeley.edu
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043224 – Published 26 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kzyy-7b15

Abstract

It has been demonstrated experimentally that friction forces between a two-dimensional (2D) material and an amorphous substrate are sufficient to stabilize tensile and compressive strains on the order of 1% within the 2D material. Here, a simple atomic-scale model is used to explore the friction between a 2D material and an idealized substrate. The atomic-scale model shows that the observed strains can be sustained by bonds with strengths on the order of van der Waals bonds. The model also reveals interesting atomic-scale structures at the interface that include vortices, antivortices, and other more complicated structures.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043224– Published 26 November, 2025
  • Received 13 September 2024
  • Accepted 23 October 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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