Before revision: On very smooth surfaces, stick–slip behavior may result from coupled phonons (at the interface between the substrate and the slider) that are pinned in an undulating potential well, sticking or slipping with thermal fluctuations.Bo N.J. Persson and Nicholas D. Spencer, "Sliding Friction: Physical Principles and Applications", Physics Today 52(1), 66 (1999); doi: 10.1063/1.882557 Stick-slip occurs on all types of materials and on enormously varying length scales.Ruina, Andy.
After revision: On very smooth surfaces, stick–slip behavior may result from coupled phonons (at the interface between the substrate and the slider) that are pinned in an undulating potential well, sticking or slipping with thermal fluctuations.Bo N.J. Persson and Nicholas D. Spencer, "Sliding Friction: Physical Principles and Applications", Physics Today 52(1), 66 (1999); doi: 10.1063/1.882557 Stick–slip occurs on all types of materials and on enormously varying length scales.Ruina, Andy.