Atomic stick-slip friction as a two-dimensional thermally activated process

Widely recognized as a thermally activated process, atomic stick-slip friction has been typically explained by Prandtl-Tomlinson model with thermal activation. Despite the limited success, theoretical predictions from the classic model are primarily based on a one-dimensional (1D) assumption, which is generally not compatible with real experiments that are two-dimensional (2D) in nature. In this letter, a theoretical model based on 2D transition state theory has been derived and confirmed to be able to capture the 2D slip kinetics in atomic-scale friction experiments on crystalline surface with a hexagonal energy landscape. Moreover, we propose a reduced scheme that enables extraction of intrinsic interfacial parameters from 2D experiments approximately using the traditional 1D model. The 2D model provides a theoretical tool for understanding the rich kinetics of atomic-scale friction or other phenomena involving higher dimensional transitions.