Molecular dynamics simulations of atomic-scale friction in diamond-silver sliding system

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to explore the atomic-scale sliding friction, especially the stick-slip friction, in a system consisting of a diamond slider and a silver substrate. The mechanisms of the stick-slip behavior are investigated by considering sliding speeds between 10 m/s and 200 m/s. The analyses of the shear distance between the upmost layer and the downmost layer and displacements of a column of atoms in the slider show that shearing deformation of the slider is the main cause of the stick-slip phenomenon. Our simulations also present that a commensurate fit between the two contact surfaces is unimportant for the stick-slip friction.