The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy quantization within an electrical circuit. This pivotal research, conducted in the 1980s, demonstrated that quantum phenomena, typically observed at the subatomic level, can manifest in systems large enough to be perceived by the human hand. The laureates' experiments, performed at the University of California, Berkeley, utilized superconducting electrical circuits, specifically Josephson junctions, to reveal quantum physics in action. Their work proved that collective particles within these circuits could behave as a single quantum entity, exhibiting effects like tunneling through energy barriers and absorbing or emitting energy in discrete packets, precisely as predicted by quantum mechanics.
John Clarke, born in Cambridge, UK, in 1942, is a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. His career has been dedicated to the study of quantum properties of superconductors, with significant contributions to the development of ultrasensitive detectors like Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs). Michel H. Devoret, originally from Paris, France, is a Professor of Applied Physics at Yale University. His collaboration was crucial in demonstrating quantum tunneling in macroscopic electrical circuits. John M. Martinis, born in 1958, received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, under the supervision of John Clarke. He is currently the Chief Scientist at Google Quantum AI.
This recognition highlights the profound impact of fundamental research on technological advancement. The discoveries of Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis have laid the essential groundwork for numerous modern technologies, including quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and highly sensitive sensors. The development of qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computers, is directly influenced by this research. The prize, totaling 11 million Swedish kronor, will be shared equally among the three scientists.
The historical roots of quantum tunneling stretch back to the early 20th century, with physicists like George Gamow first applying the concept to explain alpha decay in atomic nuclei in 1928. Later advancements by Leo Esaki in semiconductors and Ivar Giaever in superconductors, who demonstrated electron tunneling phenomena, led to Nobel Prizes in 1973. The invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer in 1981, which uses quantum tunneling to image surfaces at the atomic level, also earned a Nobel Prize in 1986. The laureates' work represents a significant leap, demonstrating that quantum effects are not confined to the microscopic realm but can be harnessed in tangible, macroscopic systems. This understanding is now propelling the next generation of quantum technologies, promising further innovations that will continue to shape our technological landscape.