A study of surface diffusion with the scanning tunneling microscope from fluctuations of the tunneling current

The transport of atoms or molecules over surfaces has been an important area of study for several decades now, with its progress generally limited by the available experimental techniques to characterize the phenomena. A number of methods have been developed over the years to measure surface diffusion yet only very few systems have been characterized to this day mainly due to the physical limitations inherent in these available methods. Even the STM with its astonishing atomically-resolved images of the surface has been limited in terms of its capability to determine mass transport properties. This is because the STM is inherently a ``slow`` instrument, i.e., a finite time is needed for signal averaging in order to produce the image. A need exists for additional surface diffusion measurement techniques, ideally ones which are able to study varied systems and measure a wide range of diffusion rates. The STM (especially because of its highly local nature) presents itself as a promising tool to conduct dynamical studies if its poor time resolution during ``normal operation`` can somehow be overcome. The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce a new technique of using the STM to measure adatom mobility on surfaces -- one with a capacity to achieve excellent time resolution