Heinrich Rohrer

Heinrich Rohrer was a Swiss physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 for his co-invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with his colleague Gerd Binnig. This revolutionary instrument, developed at the IBM Research – Zurich laboratory, allowed scientists to image individual atoms on surfaces for the first time, fundamentally transforming the fields of surface science, nanotechnology, and materials science. His work provided a critical tool for the direct observation and manipulation of matter at the atomic scale.

Early life and education

Heinrich Rohrer was born in Buchs, St. Gallen, Switzerland, and spent his early years in the rural village of Wattwil. His family later moved to Zürich, where he completed his secondary education. He began his university studies in physics at the ETH Zurich in 1951, where he was influenced by professors such as Wolfgang Pauli. After completing his Diploma in 1955, he continued at the same institution for his doctorate, which he received in 1960 for experimental research on superconductivity and the magnetoresistance of type-II superconductors under the supervision of Jörgen Lykke Olsen.

Career and research

Following his doctorate, Rohrer conducted postdoctoral research on thermal conductivity of type-I superconductors at Rutgers University in the United States. In 1963, he joined the newly established IBM Research – Zurich laboratory in Rüschlikon, a major center for solid-state physics research. His early work at IBM focused on magnetism, Kondo systems, and antiferromagnetism, studying materials like gadolinium and europium oxide. This period of fundamental research on condensed matter physics and phase transitions provided a strong foundation for his later groundbreaking work in microscopy.

Scanning tunneling microscope

In 1978, Rohrer began a collaboration with the newly arrived Gerd Binnig to explore the possibilities of scanning tunneling microscopy. Drawing on the quantum mechanical principle of tunneling, they aimed to profile surfaces with unprecedented resolution. Their first successful prototype, completed in 1981, demonstrated the ability to resolve atomic steps on a calcium-covered iridium surface. A landmark achievement came in 1982 when they obtained the first atomic-resolution images of the silicon (111) 7x7 reconstruction, a complex surface puzzle that had eluded other techniques. The invention was publicly unveiled at an International Conference on Physics of Semiconductors and later commercialized in partnership with companies like Veeco.

Awards and honors

For their invention of the STM, Rohrer and Binnig received numerous prestigious awards. They were jointly awarded the King Faisal International Prize in Science in 1984. The pinnacle of recognition came in 1986 when they shared half of the Nobel Prize in Physics; the other half was awarded to Ernst Ruska for his work on the electron microscope. Further honors for Rohrer included the Elliott Cresson Medal from the Franklin Institute in 1987, the German Physics Prize, and the Hewlett Packard Europhysics Prize. He was elected a foreign member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Personal life and legacy

Rohrer married Rose-Marie Egger in 1961, and they had two daughters. Known for his modesty and dedication to fundamental science, he enjoyed hiking in the Swiss Alps. After receiving the Nobel Prize, he continued his research at IBM Research – Zurich, later focusing on high-temperature superconductivity and serving in advisory roles. Heinrich Rohrer died in Wollerau, Switzerland, in 2013. His legacy is the profound and lasting impact of the STM, which spawned related techniques like the atomic force microscope and became an indispensable instrument across scientific disciplines, from biophysics to semiconductor engineering, enabling the modern era of nanoscience.

Category:Swiss physicists Category:Nobel laureates in Physics Category:IBM employees Category:ETH Zurich alumni