Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 3: Scanning probe techniques: Method development I
O 3.4: Talk
Monday, March 9, 2026, 11:15–11:30, HSZ/0204
Exploring Dissipation in Single-Molecule Manipulation — •Norio Okabayashi1, Alfred J. Weymouth2, Sophia Schweiss2, Thomas Frederiksen3,4, and Franz J. Giessibl2 — 1Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan — 2University of Regensburg, Regensburg D-93053, Germany — 3Donostia International Physics Center, San Sebastián 20018, Spain — 4Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao 48013, Spain
Single-molecule manipulation with scanning probe microscopy (SPM) offers a well-defined platform for studying nanoscale friction. While previous work has focused mainly on the forces driving molecular motion [1], the corresponding dissipation processes remain less explored. Here, we investigate a single CO molecule on Cu(110) using STM, AFM, LFM, and DFT at low temperatures. DFT identifies the preferred adsorption sites and the switching pathway (top-bridge-top), which are confirmed experimentally by IETS and by dissipation signals during AFM and LFM oscillations. In AFM [2], dissipation appears only along specific manipulation paths, whereas in LFM it also arises along trajectories associated with molecular switching. The switching rate is evaluated from STM as a function of lateral tip position, giving the manipulation probability per LFM oscillation cycle. Combining this cycle-resolved rate with the measured dissipation per cycle allows us to quantify the energy dissipated per manipulation event. [1] M. Ternes et al., Science 319, 1066 (2008); [2] N. Okabayashi et al., PRL 131, 148001 (2023).
Keywords: single-molecule manipulation; carbon monoxide (CO); energy dissipation; AFM / LFM (lateral force microscopy); molecular switching