STOCKHOLM – Three scientists have been jointly awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for experiments that brought the strange and counterintuitive rules of quantum mechanics into the macroscopic world. John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis were recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for "the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit."

Their groundbreaking work demonstrated that quantum phenomena, typically confined to the microscopic realm of atoms and particles, can be observed and controlled in systems large enough to be seen and manipulated directly. The Nobel Committee highlighted that the laureates’ experiments showed that quantum properties can be observed in systems "large enough to be held in the hand," a significant leap in bridging the gap between the quantum and classical worlds.

The prize is shared equally by the three american researchers. John Clarke is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Michel H. Devoret holds appointments at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where John M. Martinis is also a professor.

The academy stated that their research brings the "bizarre properties of the quantum world" into a practical realm, allowing these effects to be studied in much more accessible ways. This foundational discovery has unlocked the door for a new generation of powerful technologies. The laureates' work is considered crucial for the development of quantum computing, which promises to solve problems currently intractable for even the fastest supercomputers, as well as for advancements in ultra-sensitive sensors and secure quantum cryptography.

The formal award ceremony for the 2025 nobel prizes is scheduled to take place in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The laureates will share the prize money of 10 million swedish kronor (approximately $900,000 USD).