To date, visualizing the friction process between asperities at an atomic scale is rarely accomplished. Here, through designing the nanocontact and performing controlled motion between asperities under high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the real-time atomic-friction process is captured. Moreover, the interface dynamics and friction mechanism are illustrated by combining in-situ TEM observation with molecular dynamics simulation. For the first time under in-situ TEM, the atomic-friction between single-asperity nanocontacts is revealed to display a discrete stick-slip behavior and an asynchronous process for the accumulation and dissipation of the strain energy with the nonuniform motion of interface atoms. This work provides a study approach to realize in-situ atomic-friction research and attains a fundamental understanding of friction phenomena at the atomic-scale. 

Atomic-Scale Friction Between Single-Asperity Contacts Under In-Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

The Virtual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science 2020 is the first fully virtual meeting of the SES community to envision and connect during the hiatus created by Covid-19, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, and to showcase the latest research in the field of engineering science.

[Visit the Programme](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BoCPBzrr1IQFANuzQI8a-paXCJoOcCkB/view?usp=sharing) | [Visit the Prerecorded Video/Poster List](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XHLeEXJxEFjCSsNScuLDfMwy1X7oy7oJ/view?usp=sharing) | [View the Session Grid](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VeDOC-Ev5m_ymYjXnjaXSZHR3_DARiLt/view?usp=sharing)