A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful imaging tool that utilizes quantum tunneling to visualize surfaces at the atomic level. It operates by scanning a sharp conducting tip extremely close to a surface, allowing electrons to tunnel between the tip and the surface, which enables high-resolution images of the surface's topography and electronic properties. This technique is closely linked to wave-particle duality and the de Broglie wavelength, as it relies on the principles of quantum mechanics.
congrats on reading the definition of scanning tunneling microscope. now let's actually learn it.