Nobel Prize in Physics for Quantum Computing Pioneers

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three scientists: John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis, for their fundamental discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded them "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy quantization in an electrical circuit." Their work built a bridge between the strange phenomena of the quantum world and our everyday, macroscopic world, paving the way for the creation of quantum computers.

During their experiments conducted in the 1980s, the scientists demonstrated that the principles of quantum mechanics, which usually manifest only at the level of atoms and subatomic particles, can also be observed in man-made, visible-sized systems. They developed a superconducting electrical circuit that could exhibit the phenomenon of quantum tunneling. This means that the system can transition from one state to another not by "jumping over" an energy barrier, but by effectively "passing through it"—as if a ball were to pass through a wall instead of bouncing off it.

Furthermore, the scientists proved that the energy states of the circuit they created are quantized, meaning it can absorb or emit energy only in specific, discrete packets, as predicted by quantum theory. This discovery became the basis for the development of the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers: qubits (quantum bits).

The work of today's laureates laid the foundation for the development of the next generation of quantum technologies, which includes quantum cryptography, quantum sensors, and quantum computers. The legacy of their discoveries is visible in today's transistors and microchips, which are the cornerstones of our technological world.

One of the laureates, John Clarke, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, upon learning of the award, called it a "surprise of a lifetime," noting that they had not even thought their work could be worthy of a Nobel Prize.

The prize, amounting to 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million), will be shared equally among the three scientists. The laureates are John Clarke (University of California, Berkeley), Michel Devoret (Yale University), and John Martinis (University of California, Santa Barbara).