John Clarke, Michel H Devoret & John M Martinis Bag Nobel Prize For Physics For Breakthroughs In Quantum Tunneling & Energy Quantisation

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.”

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the award, highlighted the groundbreaking nature of the laureates’ work. The trio conducted a series of experiments demonstrating that the unusual characteristics of the quantum realm can be observed in a system large enough to hold in one’s hand.

According to the announcement, “Their superconducting electrical system was capable of tunnelling from one state to another, as though it were passing directly through a barrier. They also established that the system absorbed and released energy in specific increments, precisely as quantum mechanics predicts.”

Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their pioneering use of physics-based tools to develop methods that form the foundation of modern machine learning. Hopfield created an associative memory capable of storing and reconstructing images and other data patterns, while Hinton developed a technique that autonomously identifies properties within data, enabling it to recognize specific elements in images.

In other 2025 Nobel announcements earlier this week, Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They were honored for their groundbreaking research on peripheral immune tolerance — a mechanism that allows the immune system to fight harmful microorganisms while avoiding attacks on the body’s own cells.

The Nobel Prizes are also awarded in chemistry, literature, and peace, each accompanied by a monetary reward of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million). Beyond the financial aspect, receiving a Nobel Prize bestows immediate international recognition, a prestigious accolade that remains out of reach for the vast majority of scientists worldwide.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/john-clarke-michel-h-devoret-john-m-martinis-bag-nobel-prize-for-physics-for-breakthroughs-in-quantum-tunneling-energy-quantisation