Stability of superlubric sliding on graphite

Recent atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments have shown that the low-friction sliding of incommensurate graphite flakes on graphite can be destroyed by torque-induced rotations. Here we theoretically investigate the stability of superlubric sliding against rotations of the flake. We find that the occurrence of superlubric motion critically depends on the physical parameters and on the experimental conditions: particular scan lines, thermal fluctuations, and high loading forces can destroy the stability of superlubric orbits. We find that the optimal conditions to achieve superlubric sliding are given by large flakes, low temperature, and low loads, as well as scanning velocities higher than those used in AFM experiments.