Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Henrich Rohrer Dies at 79

Pioneering physicist Henrich Rohrer reportedly died May 16 at home in Wollerau, Switzerland, according to a statement by his family. Roher's death at 79 was attributed to natural causes.   

Rohrer shared the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing a microscope capable of seeing and moving individual atoms, called the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), at an IBM laboratory in Zurich in 1981. The invention came after decades of exponential growth in microscopy and enabled scientists to render images of details down to one-25th the diameter of an atom.

The device works by moving a probe with a fine tip the width of an atom across the surface of a material, allowing electrons to tunnel through the ultra-small gap between probe and surface. A computer then interprets the subtle changes in the current flowing from the tip and onto the area below it in order to make a contour map of the atomic terrain under analysis.

The advance gave rise to a new era in nanotechnology, said IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research John E. Kelly in a statement.

“This invention gave scientists the ability to image, measure and manipulate atoms for the first time, and opened new avenues for information technology that we are still pursuing today,” he said.

However, it was not a feat Rohrer accomplished on his own: the great scientist was assisted in his work by Gerd Binning who, in the late 1970s when the two started collaborating, was in his early 30s.

“For me, Heini was a father figure, role model, emotional and spiritual teacher, and best friend – all rolled into one,” Binning said upon his Rohrer’s death. “An eminent person, with an incredible sense of humanity and kindness.”

In addition to his kindness and intelligence, Rohrer was also known for his quick wit: in a 2011 event held for the dedication of the Binning and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center, the younger scientist attempted to explain their invention, after which Rohrer apologized to the room full of 600 people saying, “If you didn’t quite understand what Gerd just told you, you are not alone.”