Martin Schmid is a German physicist, who recently joined our group. After studying physics in Wuerzburg and Heidelberg, he did his PhD thesis at the university of Erlangen-Nuremberg on the fundamental properties of interfaces between metals and organic adsorbates. After receiving his PhD, and joining our group, he is currently doing research on the structural and chemical properties of Au/Ag alloys, particularly with respect to the ability of those systems to generate and/or store highly reactive atomic oxygen. Conducting these experiments in an ultra-high vacuum environment (UHV), he employs classical surface science techniques, such as Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED), and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM).  His research is funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.