Tuning Diffusion and Friction in Microscopic Contacts By Mechanical Excitations

We demonstrate that lateral vibrations of a substrate can dramatically increase surface diffusivity and mobility and reduce friction at the nanoscale. Dilatancy is shown to play an essential role in the dynamics of a nanometer-size tip which interacts with a vibrating surface. We find an abrupt dilatancy transition from the state with a small tip-surface separation to the state with a large separation as the vibration frequency increases. Atomic force microscopy experiments are suggested which can test the predicted effects.