Origin of friction anisotropy on a quasicrystal surface.

Wearless friction force experiments [Science 309, 1354 (2005)10.1126/science.1113239] have recently demonstrated that tribological response in quasicrystals could be related to the exotic atomic structure of the bulk material. Here, by numerical simulations, we address the origin of the experimentally observed friction anisotropy on a twofold decagonal quasicrystal surface. We predict the distinct stick-slip patterns in the lateral force along the periodic and quasiperiodic directions, specifically exploring the temperature dependence that rules the transitions between single and multiple-slip regimes of motion.