Many-body van der Waals interactions in multilayer structures studied by atomic force microscopy
Abstract Van der Waals interaction in multilayer structures was predicted to be of many-body character, almost in parallel with the establishment of Lifshitz theory. However, the diminishing interaction between layers separated by a finite-thickness intermediate layer prevents experimental verificat...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54484-8 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Van der Waals interaction in multilayer structures was predicted to be of many-body character, almost in parallel with the establishment of Lifshitz theory. However, the diminishing interaction between layers separated by a finite-thickness intermediate layer prevents experimental verification of the many-body nature. Here we verify the substrate contribution at the adhesion between the atomic force microscopy tip and the supported graphene, by taking advantage of the atomic-scale proximity of two objects separated by graphene. While the pairwise dispersion theory overestimates the substrate contribution at critical adhesive pressures, the many-body dispersion theory remedies this deficiency, highlighting the non-additivity nature of substrate contribution. The many-body effect is further understood through the energy spectrum of charge density fluctuations. These findings open the door to modulating the van der Waals interaction on two-dimensional material surfaces, which would be relevant to various technologies, including microelectromechanical systems and surface molecular assembly. |
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| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |