TITLE: Nanotribology: The Atomic-Scale Origins of Friction

SPEAKER: Professor Jacqueline Krim,

Long neglected by physicists, the study of friction's atomic-level origins, or nanotribology, indicates that the force stems from various unexpected sources, including sound energy. Progress in this field will be discussed, including our use of a quartz microbalance to measure the force to slide one- and two-atom thick films along ordered metal substrates, our observation of a reduction in friction when a material enters a superconducting state, and potential applications in the area of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems).