U.S, Oct 07 : The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for groundbreaking experiments that brought quantum physics into the visible, macroscopic world. The trio’s work has significant implications for the future of quantum technologies, including quantum computing, ultra-secure communication, and advanced sensing systems.
Clarke is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley; Devoret works at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Martinis is also at UC Santa Barbara. They will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately ₹1.04 crore).
The Nobel Committee recognised the scientists “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.” Their experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanics, long observed only in microscopic systems like atoms and particles, could also manifest in circuits large enough to handle by humans.
Quantum mechanics describes the behaviour of particles at the smallest scales, including phenomena like tunnelling, where particles pass through barriers they normally could not. Until now, such effects were rarely seen in macroscopic systems. The Nobel laureates designed an electrical circuit small enough to hold in hand, yet it exhibited quantum behaviour. Their research confirmed tunnelling inside the circuit and revealed discrete, quantised energy levels.
“This discovery brings quantum mechanics from the microscopic to the macroscopic world,” said Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics. “It is wonderful to see how this century-old theory continues to surprise us. Quantum mechanics is not just mysterious. It is the foundation of all modern digital technology.”
Today, much of digital technology relies on quantum effects, including the transistors in computer chips. The laureates’ work now extends these principles to new quantum applications, potentially enabling faster and more secure data processing.
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton for pioneering contributions to artificial intelligence through research on machine learning and neural networks.