The scanning tunneling microscope emerged from a research project that required Heinrich Rohrer to conduct his measurements exclusively at night. By operating only when the city slept, he minimized ambient vibrations that would have otherwise compromised his sensitive experiments. This dedication to precision eventually facilitated the development of tools capable of imaging individual atoms.
Academic Foundations and Early Research
Born on 6 June 1933 in Buchs, Switzerland, Rohrer began his studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in 1951. Under the guidance of Wolfgang Pauli and Paul Scherrer, he pursued a doctorate under P. Grassmann, focusing on cryogenic engineering. His early work involved investigating length changes in superconductors during magnetic-field-induced transitions, a project initiated by Jørgen Lykke Olsen. Military service in the Swiss mountain infantry interrupted his formal progression, but he later expanded his expertise during a research period at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he studied thermal conductivity alongside Bernie Serin.
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In 1963, Rohrer joined the IBM Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon. His initial years at the facility involved analyzing Kondo systems through magnetoresistance in pulsed magnetic fields, eventually transitioning into the study of magnetic phase diagrams and critical phenomena. A 1974 sabbatical at the University of California, Santa Barbara, provided him the opportunity to work with Vince Jaccarino and Alan King on nuclear magnetic resonance. Following his return, he focused his efforts on the scanning tunneling microscope until 1982.
Recognition and Professional Legacy
The development of the scanning tunneling microscope earned Rohrer the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics, which he shared with Gerd Binnig and Ernst Ruska. That same year, he attained the status of IBM Fellow and directed the research laboratory's physics department until 1988. Throughout his career, he held memberships in prestigious organizations, including the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He was also honored with the EPS Europhysics Prize and the King Faisal International Prize in Science in 1984. Rohrer died on 16 May 2013 in Wollerau.
Fast facts
- Born: 1933, Buchs, Switzerland
- Died: 2013, Wollerau, Switzerland
- Education: ETH Zurich
- Employer: IBM
- 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics recipient
- Spouse: Rose-Marie Egger (married 1961)
- Languages: German
Questions readers ask
What did Heinrich Rohrer invent?
He is recognized for the design of the scanning tunneling microscope, for which he shared the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Where did he conduct his career research?
He worked primarily at the IBM Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, beginning in 1963.
