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SUMMARY:Exploring structural phase transitions in nanofriction - Andrea Be
 nassi\, Statistical Materials Modeling Laboratory\, Institute for Energeti
 cs and Interphases\, Milan\, Italy
DTSTART:20120223T160000Z
DTEND:20120223T170000Z
UID:TALK34569@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Stephen Walley
DESCRIPTION:Understanding\, and controlling\, nanoscale friction are among
  top priorities in nanoscience and technology\, where moving elements are 
 increasingly important. Designing new mechanisms capable of tuning frictio
 n\, to be employed in addition to traditional means such as lubrication\, 
 surface coating\, patterning and vibrations\, is of great interest both in
  physics and for nanotechnology applications.\nBased on molecular dynamics
  simulations\, we present some examples of modeling studies aimed at impro
 ving this state of affairs. First\, we show that the occurrence of a struc
 tural phase transition in a sliding body\, can induce considerable changes
  in its tribological response. This finding opens the possibility to tailo
 r friction by some external field\, such as a stress field or an electric 
 field\, capable to promote or inhibit the structural phase transition.\nOn
  a different note\, we show that much could be learnt about nanofriction b
 y exploiting the potentiality of cold ion traps. By sliding\, through an e
 lectric field\, the trapped ion chains over a laser-generated corrugated p
 otential\, fundamental tribological issues such as the superlubric Aubry t
 ransition of incommensurate interfaces can be addressed.\n
LOCATION:Mott Seminar Room\, Cavendish Laboratory\, Department of Physics
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