Thermally induced suppression of friction at the atomic scale

Atomic-scale friction, as accessed in tip-based experiments, is investigated theoretically in the full range of surface corrugations, temperatures, and velocities. Emphasis is given to the regime of thermal drift, when the regular stick-slip behavior is completely ruined by thermal effects. The possibility of nearly vanishing friction ("thermolubricity") is predicted even for strong (overcritical) surface corrugations, when traditional models would predict significant friction. The manifestation of this effect in recently published experimental data is demonstrated.