Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge

Abstract From the construction of monumental pyramids to the manipulation of minuscule molecules, the utilization of friction has been inevitable, thereby driving rapid technological advancement. Concurrently, low-dimensional materials have transformed the concept of ultra-low friction into reality....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xinchen Gao, Zhenbin Gong, Hongli Li, Zhao Liu, Weishan Yan, Qingkai Zheng, Kexin Ren, Wenchao Wu, Junyan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61269-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849769405555146752
author Xinchen Gao
Zhenbin Gong
Hongli Li
Zhao Liu
Weishan Yan
Qingkai Zheng
Kexin Ren
Wenchao Wu
Junyan Zhang
author_facet Xinchen Gao
Zhenbin Gong
Hongli Li
Zhao Liu
Weishan Yan
Qingkai Zheng
Kexin Ren
Wenchao Wu
Junyan Zhang
author_sort Xinchen Gao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract From the construction of monumental pyramids to the manipulation of minuscule molecules, the utilization of friction has been inevitable, thereby driving rapid technological advancement. Concurrently, low-dimensional materials have transformed the concept of ultra-low friction into reality. Notably, materials with curved geometries-such as moiré patterns and nanotubes-consistently exhibit anomalous frictional phenomena that often contradict classical macroscopic friction laws. Here, we report a solid-solid interfacial quantum friction phenomenon, in which the friction at folded graphene edges increases nonlinearly with the number of layers, deviating from Amontons’ classical law, which is obeyed by exposed graphene edges. This anomaly is primarily attributed to the strain-induced pseudo-Landau quantized splitting, suppressing electronic energy dissipation at the folded graphene edge, while the phononic energy dissipates normally regardless of folding. This work establishes a bridge between the nanoscale curved geometries of low-dimensional materials and the mechanisms of frictional dissipation, thereby offering valuable insights for designing graphene dissipation-free topological quantum devices.
format Article
id doaj-art-fb738ce45a534f3e83d6c2307c46c45c
institution DOAJ
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-fb738ce45a534f3e83d6c2307c46c45c2025-08-20T03:03:25ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611910.1038/s41467-025-61269-0Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edgeXinchen Gao0Zhenbin Gong1Hongli Li2Zhao Liu3Weishan Yan4Qingkai Zheng5Kexin Ren6Wenchao Wu7Junyan Zhang8State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract From the construction of monumental pyramids to the manipulation of minuscule molecules, the utilization of friction has been inevitable, thereby driving rapid technological advancement. Concurrently, low-dimensional materials have transformed the concept of ultra-low friction into reality. Notably, materials with curved geometries-such as moiré patterns and nanotubes-consistently exhibit anomalous frictional phenomena that often contradict classical macroscopic friction laws. Here, we report a solid-solid interfacial quantum friction phenomenon, in which the friction at folded graphene edges increases nonlinearly with the number of layers, deviating from Amontons’ classical law, which is obeyed by exposed graphene edges. This anomaly is primarily attributed to the strain-induced pseudo-Landau quantized splitting, suppressing electronic energy dissipation at the folded graphene edge, while the phononic energy dissipates normally regardless of folding. This work establishes a bridge between the nanoscale curved geometries of low-dimensional materials and the mechanisms of frictional dissipation, thereby offering valuable insights for designing graphene dissipation-free topological quantum devices.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61269-0
spellingShingle Xinchen Gao
Zhenbin Gong
Hongli Li
Zhao Liu
Weishan Yan
Qingkai Zheng
Kexin Ren
Wenchao Wu
Junyan Zhang
Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
Nature Communications
title Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
title_full Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
title_fullStr Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
title_full_unstemmed Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
title_short Pseudo-Landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
title_sort pseudo landau levels splitting triggers quantum friction at folded graphene edge
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61269-0
work_keys_str_mv AT xinchengao pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT zhenbingong pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT honglili pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT zhaoliu pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT weishanyan pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT qingkaizheng pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT kexinren pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT wenchaowu pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge
AT junyanzhang pseudolandaulevelssplittingtriggersquantumfrictionatfoldedgrapheneedge