Surface nanofabrication beyond optical diffraction limit: Optical driven assembly enabled by superlubricity

The optical manipulation of nanoparticles on superlubricity surfaces is investigated. The research revealed that, due to the near-zero static friction and extremely low dynamic friction at superlubricity interfaces, the maximum intensity for controlling the optical field can be less than 100 W/cm². The controlled nanoparticle radius can be as small as 5 nm, which is more than one order of magnitude smaller than nanoparticles controlled through traditional optical manipulation. Manipulation can be achieved in sub-microsecond to microsecond timescales. Furthermore, the manipulation takes place on solid surfaces and in non-liquid environments, with minimal impact from Brownian motion. By appropriately increasing dynamic friction, controlling light intensity, or reducing pressure, the effects of Brownian motion can be eliminated, allowing for the construction of microstructures with a size as small as 1/75 of the wavelength of light with controlling light intensity is seven orders of magnitude smaller compared to manipulating nanoparticles on traditional surfaces. This enables the control of super-resolution optical microstructures. The optical super-resolution manipulation of nanoparticles on superlubricity surfaces will find important applications in fields such as nanofabrication, photolithography, optical metasurface, and biochemical analysis.