(TNS) — An ultra-high vacuum scanning tunnel microscope — or UHV STM — has been donated to Miami University through an educational partnership agreement with the Materials and Manufacturing Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Assistant Professor of Physics Perry Corbett has retrofitted one STM and repaired another. Corbett worked for the scientific research and technology company UES Inc.
in conjunction with the AFRL, according to a news release from Miami University. "Corbett, (Physics student) Nate Price, Lakshan Don Manuwelge Don and their colleagues will be able to map a sample's surface atom by atom using ultra-high resolution," states the release. "Corbett is in the process of modifying the STM to give it advanced capabilities, including adding a magnetic field as well as an additional chamber, which will allow Corbett's group to bring in samples from collaborators across the world.
" Corbett can build STMs from scratch, draw a diagram from memory, or take them apart, screw by screw, Miami officials said. "The microscope was in fantastic condition," Corbett said of the model that had been with the AFRL for about 12 years. "I had the tools in my toolbox to bring it back to life at Miami.
" Price, who is from Edinboro, Penn., "worked with a more educational model of STM while at Brown, one that was less advanced but still produced interesting data," Miami's release said. "We have a lot of different samples that we c.