Friction between macroscopic surfaces can be reliably characterized by the da Vinci-Amontons laws. At the nanoscale, however, these laws break down and become dependent on the particular electronic, vibrational and structural properties of the materials forming the interface.

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In the recent years, a modified version of the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was developed to measure the lateral force on the cantilever, which can be mapped to the microscopic friction coefficient. This new device, called the Friction Force Microscope (FFM) opened up the vast field of nanotribology, which describes the friction and wear behavior of atomically flat surfaces.

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Our group focuses on the friction force between two-dimensional systems and metal surfaces, in particular Au. Metal-coated FFM tips are routinely used to understand the friction losses in two-dimesional materials due to their potential as superlubricants.