  We demonstrate a microfabricated surface-electrode ion trap that is
applicable as a nanofriction emulator and studies of many-body dynamics of
interacting systems. The trap enables both single-well and double-well trapping
potentials in the radial direction, where the distance between the two
potential wells can be adjusted by the applied RF voltage. In the double-well
configuration, parallel ion strings can be formed, which is a suitable system
for the emulation of the Frenkel-Kontorova (FK) model. We derive the condition
under which the trap functions as a FK model emulator. The trap is designed so
that the Coulomb interaction between two ion strings becomes significant. We
report on the microfabrication process for such downsized trap electrodes and
experimental results of single-well and double-well operation with calcium
ions. With the trap demonstrated in this work we can create atomically
accessible, self-assembled Coulomb systems with a wide tuning range of the
corrugation parameter in the FK model. This makes it a promising system for
quantum simulations, but also for the study of nanofriction in one and higher
dimensional systems.
