Three physicists were honored with the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering contributions to quantum mechanics during the 1980s. John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis developed a circuit with no electrical resistance, showcasing quantum tunneling, a phenomenon that enables atoms and subatomic particles to penetrate barriers that classical physics suggests should be insurmountable.
Prior to the work of Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis, the idea of such tunneling was largely theoretical. Their successful experiments confirmed the viability of this phenomenon within a physical circuit, setting the stage for modern transistor technology and laying the foundation for the burgeoning field of quantum computing.
Clarke remarked, “I’m talking on my cell phone, and I suspect you are too. One foundational reason these devices function is the result of our work.” During a phone interview with reporters at the Nobel event, he expressed his surprise upon learning of the accolade, as reported by Reuters.
Clarke spearheaded the team at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has held a professorship since 1969 and is now an emeritus professor. Their groundbreaking research has laid the groundwork for advancements in contemporary quantum computers.
Both Martinis and Devoret conducted advanced research in quantum computing while at Google. In 2019, Martinis, who was then responsible for hardware development for Google’s Quantum AI team, and his colleagues announced that they had achieved “quantum supremacy,” marking their computer’s capability to solve problems far more quickly than the most powerful supercomputers. Although he has since stepped away from Google, Martinis continues to serve as a professor at Yale University and at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Devoret currently holds the title of chief scientist of quantum hardware at Google Quantum AI and also teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
This distinguished trio joins a select cadre of physicists who have received this prestigious accolade, which has previously been awarded to luminaries such as Max Planck in 1918 and Albert Einstein in 1921.
Correction, October 7th: An earlier version of this article misstated the day the awards were announced. It was Tuesday, not Thursday.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
