Approximately one-third of global primary energy is consumed by friction, and energy dissipation induced by frictional defects has become a bottleneck limiting the performance of extreme manufacturing. However, atomic-scale defects often induce no apparent morphological changes, making them difficult to effectively identify using conventional morphology-based and steady-state spectroscopic methods. Focusing on a new principle for atomic-scale frictional defect detection, this study addresses the insufficient sensitivity of conventional detection approaches to subtle defects by introducing ultrafast science into frictional defect detection. We propose a new detection principle based on defect-induced dynamical responses of energy dissipation, elucidate the mechanism by which defects alter interfacial energy-dissipation pathways through electron trapping and electron–phonon coupling, and establish the correlations between electron-dissipation lifetime, electron diffusion length, and defect characteristics. Building upon these findings, we develop an ultrafast dynamical defect-detection technology and an instrument with ultrahigh spatial and temporal resolution for microscopic defect detection, enabling quantitative detection of atomic-scale frictional defects and providing new detection principles and technological approaches for the precise identification and performance regulation of microscopic defects in manufacturing processes.
 

Friction; Energy Dissipation; Defect Detection