The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics will be awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electrical circuits.”

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in Stockholm on October 7, 2025, that the Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electrical circuits.”
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for the development of the next generation of quantum technologies, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors.
Quantum Computing – Enables stable and controllable qubits for faster computation.
Quantum Cryptography – Paves the way for unbreakable communication systems.
Quantum Sensors – Provide unprecedented precision in measurement and detection.
The prizes include a cash amount of 11 million Swedish kronor (about ₹1.03 crore) and will be awarded on December 10.
The Nobel Prize was established by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who wrote in his will that his fortune should be used “to award prizes to those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind in the preceding year.”

2025 Nobel Physics Laureates

John Clarke – University of California, Berkeley, USA
Michel H. Devoret – Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut/University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
John M. Martinis – University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Research topic: “For the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electrical circuits”

Quantum Physics

Traditionally, quantum behavior could only be observed on the atomic or subatomic scale.
However, the 2025 Nobel laureates broke this barrier by demonstrating quantum phenomena in a macroscopic electrical circuit, proving that the laws of quantum mechanics apply even to systems visible to the naked eye.
Quantum physics, also known as quantum mechanics, is a fundamental branch of physics that explains the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales – such as atoms, electrons, and photons.
Unlike classical physics, which describes predictable and continuous behavior, quantum physics reveals a world where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, tunnel through barriers, and exchange energy in discrete packets (called quanta).

Josephson Junction Experiment

In a series of experiments conducted in 1984 and 1985, Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis built an electronic circuit made of superconductors separated by a thin insulating layer, known as a Josephson junction.
These superconductors were separated by a thin insulating barrier, forming a Josephson junction – a device known for its quantum properties.
By precisely controlling and measuring the properties of this circuit, they were able to observe quantum tunneling and energy quantization on a macroscopic scale.
Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physics, Ole Eriksson, said, “It is wonderful to see how centuries-old quantum mechanics continues to offer new surprises. This discovery opens the door to a future defined by quantum technology.”

Nobel Prize in Physics

Since its inception in 1901, 118 Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded, of which 47 were awarded to a single laureate and 38 were shared among three people. Due to world wars, the prize has not been awarded for the past six years.
So far, 226 individuals have been honored, including eminent scientists such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Niels Bohr, Richard Feynman, and Peter Higgs, whose discoveries changed humanity’s understanding of the universe.