title: Energy dissipation in atomic force microscopy and atomic loss processes.
abstract: Atomic scale dissipation is of great interest in nanomechanics and atomic manipulation. We present dissipation measurements with a linearized, ultra-small amplitude atomic force microscope which is capable of measuring dissipation at chosen, fixed separations. We show that the dynamic dissipation in the noncontact regime is of the order of a few 10-100 meV per cycle. This dissipation is likely due to the motion of a bistable atomic defect in the tip-surface region. In the contact regime we observe dc hysteresis associated with nanoscale plasticity. We find the hysteretic energy loss to be 1 order of magnitude higher for a silicon surface than for copper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Wayne State University, 666 W. Hancock, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. hoffmann@physics.wayne.edu
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeffery
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pethica
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oral