Stick-slip friction at the atomic scale: A model for van der Waals epitaxial strain

It has been demonstrated experimentally that friction forces between a two-dimensional (2D) material and an amorphous substrate are sufficient to stabilize tensile and compressive strains on the order of 1% within the 2D material. Here, a simple atomic-scale model is used to explore the friction between a 2D material and an idealized substrate. The atomic-scale model shows that the observed strains can be sustained by bonds with strengths on the order of van der Waals bonds. The model also reveals interesting atomic-scale structures at the interface that include vortices, antivortices, and other more complicated structures.