\u201cIt is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises. It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology,\u201d Olle Eriksson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said.<\/p>\n
Quantum technology is already ubiquitous, with transistors in computer microchips an everyday example.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors,\u201d the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Quantum computers use principles of quantum mechanics to make complex calculations, predict outcomes and perform analyses that in some cases could take traditional computers millions of years.<\/p>\n
The field is considered to have the potential to help solve some of humanity\u2019s most pressing concerns, such as tackling climate change. But it also faces challenges, including improving the accuracy of its chips, and timelines for commercially viable quantum computing remain disputed.<\/p>\n
Two of the winning trio have links to Google<\/p>\n
British-born Clarke is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States.<\/p>\n
\t John Clarke (L), an emeritus professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, is toasted by Steve Kahn, dean of math and physical sciences on October 7, 2025, during a celebration of his 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. (Photo by Karl Mondon \/ AFP)<\/p>\n Devoret, who was born in France and was congratulated on X by French President Emmanuel Macron, is a professor at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, also in the United States, where Martinis is also a professor.<\/p>\n Martinis, an American, headed Google\u2019s Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab until 2020. At Google, Martinis was part of the research team that in 2019 said they had achieved \u201cquantum supremacy,\u201d in which a computer harnessing the properties of sub-atomic particles did a far better job of solving a problem than the world\u2019s most powerful supercomputer.<\/p>\n Devoret, besides his professorship, is also the chief scientist of Google Quantum AI. It is the second straight year that a Nobel has been won by scientists with Google ties. The 2024 chemistry prize was awarded to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper at Google DeepMind, while Geoffrey Hinton, who worked for Google for more than a decade, won for physics the same year.<\/p>\n Physics is the second Nobel Prize awarded this week<\/p>\n The Nobel physics prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and includes a prize sum totaling 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million) that is shared among the winners if there are several, as is often the case.<\/p>\n The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Alfred Nobel, who amassed a fortune from his invention of dynamite. Since 1901, with occasional interruptions, the prizes have annually recognized achievements in science, literature and peace. Economics was a later addition.<\/p>\n Physics was the first category mentioned in Nobel\u2019s will, likely reflecting the prominence of the field during his time. Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics remains widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the discipline.<\/p>\n Past winners of the Nobel physics prize include some of the most influential figures in the history of science, such as Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Max Planck and Niels Bohr, the latter three all pioneers of quantum theory.<\/p>\n In keeping with tradition, physics is the second Nobel to be awarded this week, after two American and one Japanese scientist won the medicine prize<\/a> for breakthroughs in understanding the immune system. The chemistry prize is due next, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The science, literature and economics prizes are presented to the laureates by the Swedish king at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel\u2019s death, followed by a lavish banquet at city hall.<\/p>\n The peace prize, which will be announced on Friday, is awarded in a separate ceremony in Oslo.<\/p>\n
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