Quantum Leap: Trio Wins Nobel Prize in Physics for Pioneering Work in Quantum Technology

STOCKHOLM — The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three scientists—John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis—for their groundbreaking experiments that brought the strange world of quantum mechanics to a macroscopic scale, laying a critical foundation for the next generation of quantum technology.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honored the trio "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit." Their pioneering work, conducted in the mid-1980s, involved a superconducting circuit and a component called a Josephson junction, which allowed them to demonstrate that quantum phenomena, typically confined to the atomic realm, could be observed and controlled in a device large enough to be held in one's hand.

Bridging the Quantum Divide

The laureates' core achievement was demonstrating two key quantum effects at a macroscopic level:

• Macroscopic Quantum Tunnelling (MQT): This phenomenon shows that a quantum system can "tunnel" through an energy barrier, even though it doesn't have enough energy to overcome it classically. The team observed this effect in the current flowing through their circuit.

• Energy Quantisation: They proved that the energy levels in their superconducting circuit were discrete, or quantized, meaning the circuit could only absorb or emit energy in specific, fixed amounts—much like electrons in an atom.

These discoveries provided the theoretical and experimental underpinnings for the field known as circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED), which is a cornerstone of modern quantum computing.

The Foundation for Future Tech

The impact of Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis's research extends far beyond the lab. The principles they established are fundamental to developing:

• Quantum Computers: Their work enabled the creation of superconducting quantum bits (qubits), the building blocks of some of the most advanced nascent quantum processors. John Martinis, for instance, previously led Google's quantum computing hardware team, and Michel Devoret is currently Google Quantum AI's Chief Scientist of Quantum Hardware.

• Ultra-Sensitive Sensors: The breakthrough is also essential for ultra-sensitive measuring devices like SQUIDs (Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices), which are used in medical imaging (such as MRI machines) and geophysical measurements.

• Quantum Cryptography: The work also advances new forms of cryptography and secure communications.

Upon receiving the news, the laureates expressed surprise and humility. John Clarke, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the leader of the team's original work, said the call was "the surprise of my life." Michel Devoret, who is affiliated with Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and John Martinis, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, share the SEK 11 million (approximately $1.2 million) prize.

Olle Eriksson, the chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, emphasized the prize's significance, stating that the work "provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology... as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology."

The prize ceremony will take place in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

John Clarke, Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School | Physics

Michel Devoret | Professor Emeritus | Yale Engineering | French Physicist

Quantum Pioneer | John Martinis

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Watch the official announcement of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics Announcement of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. This video contains the official announcement of the Nobel Prize winners and their research.