This is not optical magnification wherein light is passed through lens to enlarge an image but rather a probe is brought very close, only a few nanometers, to the specimen, which had to be cooled to slow down it’s movements.
Then an electrical current is applied to probe and specimen and the probe can “feel” the shape of the individual atom’s electron “cloud”.
A computer then turns that information into an image. I think that I’ve described the process roughly. If anyone can help correct me, please do so.
That’s what I gleaned from the article. Well said!
I think I get it now. Thank you both. :)