Published: 6 October 2025NobelPrize.orgScience & Technology
Nobel Prize in Physics 2025: Clarke, Devoret and Martinis for Macroscopic Quantum Tunnelling
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly 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.' In 1984-85, the laureates conducted experiments with superconducting circuits using Josephson junctions — setups where superconducting components are separated by a thin non-conductive layer.
Their experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties can manifest on a macroscopic scale — in systems containing billions of electrons behaving as a single quantum entity. This was unprecedented as such effects had only been observed in individual particles before. Their discovery laid the foundation for superconducting quantum bits (qubits), which form the heart of many modern quantum computers. Prize amount: 11 million Swedish kronor.
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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for discoveries related to:
Explanation · Correct answer DClarke, Devoret and Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Physics Prize for discovering macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in superconducting circuits using Josephson junctions.
Frequently asked questions
What discovery won the Nobel Prize in Physics 2025?
**Macroscopic quantum tunnelling** and **energy quantisation in electric circuits** — demonstrated by John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis in superconducting circuits — won the **Nobel Prize in Physics 2025**.
How is macroscopic quantum tunnelling different from regular quantum tunnelling?
Regular tunnelling occurs at the subatomic scale. **Macroscopic quantum tunnelling** occurs in large-scale superconducting electrical circuits, proving quantum mechanics operates beyond the subatomic world — the key insight enabling quantum computing hardware.
How does Nobel Physics 2025 connect to quantum computers?
The discovery enabled **superconducting qubits** — the core hardware of Google's and IBM's quantum computers. The laureates showed macroscopic circuits can exhibit quantum behaviour, making practical quantum computing possible.
What is John Martinis most known for?
**John M. Martinis** led Google's **2019 quantum supremacy demonstration** (Sycamore processor, 200 seconds vs. 10,000 classical years). He shares the **Nobel Prize in Physics 2025** for foundational work on macroscopic quantum mechanics.
When and by whom was the Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 announced?
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 was announced in early **October 2025** by the **Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences**, honouring Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis for quantum computing foundations.
