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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
Published on: June 14, 2019
Capillary condensation in atomic scale friction: how water acts like a glue
1Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We present atomic-scale friction force measurements that strongly suggest that the capillary condensation of water between a tungsten tip and a graphite surface leads to the formation of ice at room temperature. This phenomenon increases the friction force, introduces a short-term memory in the form of an elastic response against shearing, and allows us to "write" a temporary line of ice on a hydrophobic surface. Rearrangements of the condensate are shown to take place on a surprisingly slow time scale of seconds.
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