Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis
4 hours ago
- #Superconductivity
- #Nobel Prize
- #Quantum Mechanics
- The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for demonstrating quantum properties on a macroscopic scale.
- Their experiments showed quantum tunneling and energy quantization in a superconducting electrical circuit large enough to be held in the hand.
- Quantum tunneling allows particles to pass through barriers, a phenomenon previously observed only at microscopic scales.
- The laureates used a Josephson junction, a device involving two superconductors separated by an insulating layer, to study macroscopic quantum effects.
- Their work confirmed that Cooper pairs (electron pairs in superconductors) behave as a single quantum mechanical system.
- The experiments provided insights into macroscopic quantum states, likened to Schrödinger's cat thought experiment.
- Applications include advancements in quantum computing, where superconducting circuits serve as quantum bits (qubits).
- The research bridges theoretical quantum mechanics with practical laboratory experiments, offering new tools for quantum technology.