New modes of operation of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with infrared laser radiation coupled into the tip of the tunneling junction are demonstrated. Difference frequency generation of two laser beams is observed to be caused by the nonlinearity in the current‐voltage characteristic of the junction. The dc current produced by laser‐light rectification and the difference frequency signal are used to obtain atomic resolution surface images of graphite, as well as to control the tip‐sample distance. Such a laser‐driven STM can generate surface images without external bias voltage, and‐when the difference frequency signal is used for the distance control‐even without any dc current between tip and sample. This mode of operation may also allow to study surfaces of insulators.