The researchers from the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics found that friction did not increase as the material got thicker. In fact, some of the thicker folds slid more easily.
The revelation was a bonus for the team – not only had they become the first to directly observe friction between solid materials at the quantum level, they had seen something that could help with the development of ultra-efficient machines and tiny devices that barely wear out.
“This is the first experimental evidence of quantum friction between two solid surfaces,” the team said on social media.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications this month, could help in designing low-power nanodevices and controlling friction in advanced quantum materials, according to the team.
The team traced the curious friction effect to how bending changed the way electrons moved inside the material, locking them into fixed energy levels and making it harder for motion to turn into heat.
From tyres gripping the road to creaking knees, friction is everywhere. For centuries, scientists thought it came from rough surfaces rubbing against each other, with microscopic bumps and sticky patches resisting motion and converting energy into heat.
