Research on reduction of friction force by light

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26630042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Design engineering/Machine functional elements/Tribology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Materials Science
• Principal Investigator: Goto Masahiro 国立研究開発法人物質・材料研究機構, エネルギー・環境材料研究拠点, 主席研究員 (00343872)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 摩擦 / トライボロジー / ナノトライボロジー / 光 / レーザー / 有機分子 / 真空

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The friction force (FF) between organic molecules on a silicon cantilever and a sapphire single-crystal substrate was controlled by laser irradiation in a vacuum. The molecules on the tip surface of the cantilever absorbed the laser light and were photoexcited. It was found that the interaction between the molecules and the sapphire in the vacuum was changed rapidly by the irradiation, thus increasing the FF. After turning off the laser, the FF returned to its original value. The photo response speed of the FF under the vacuum was faster than that under water condition. It was succeeded that the control of the FF by the light under the vacuum condition for the first time in the world.

Free Research Field

物理化学