Interface slip and the buildup of hydrodynamic pressure in nanoscale bearings

A new type of hydrodynamic bearing is presented. Instead of physically forming a wedged space by two plates, the bearing consists of two parallel plates, with regions of different wettability on one of the surfaces. With the introduction of such a wettability-patterned surface, the hydrodynamic pressure can be built up because the local slip length over different regions in the bearing is different and results in similar velocity profiles to that in a traditional wedged bearing. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that the hydrodynamic pressure is proportional to the shear velocity. However, as the shear velocity exceeds a critical value, the slip length becomes infinite and the hydrodynamic bearing loses its function.