Scientists John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit. Their experiments demonstrated quantum effects in a superconducting electrical circuit large enough to be held in the hand. Using a Josephson junction—superconductors separated by a thin insulating layer—they observed that the circuit's charged particles acted as a single quantum particle capable of tunneling through barriers and absorbing or emitting discrete amounts of energy.

This pioneering work has profound implications for advancing quantum technologies such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and ultra-sensitive quantum sensors. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences praised their achievement, highlighting how it brought quantum mechanics—a field usually active at microscopic scales—into the tangible world of engineered devices.

The Nobel Prize ceremony will be held on December 10, 2025. Last year, the prize recognized advances in artificial intelligence by John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton. Established in 1901 by Alfred Nobel’s will, this prestigious award celebrates outstanding contributions to humanity in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics.