The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to three quantum scientists
John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis © Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach
The prize was given to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.”
Their groundbreaking discovery showed that quantum mechanics is not just about the microscopic world, but also relates to engineering on the macroscopic scale in systems large enough to hold in one’s hand.
This work builds the foundations of superconducting quantum circuits, a cornerstone of modern quantum technologies.
“In a transistor circuit, the values of electrical currents and voltages are governed by the quantum mechanics of the band structure of the underlying transistor material,” explains Vladimir Manucharyan, Associate Professor and head of the Superconductor Quantum Information Laboratory at EPFL, who studied with Devoret at Yale.
“Devoret, Martinis, and Clarke showed that electrical currents and voltages can themselves behave as quantum mechanical variables, even though they are produced by displacing a macroscopic number of electrons. Their demonstration led to the creation of circuit quantum electrodynamics and superconducting qubits, a leading quantum computing platform.”
This work behind this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics will build the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors.
It is especially timely that this prize comes during the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The QSE Center is also grateful to have had the opportunity to welcome John Martinis to EPFL for a QSE Distinguished Quantum Lecture in 2023.