Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to 3 scientists for work in quantum mechanics

Three scientists based in the United States have won the Nobel Prize in Physics for demonstrating the properties of the quantum world “in a system big enough to be held in the hand.”

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners on Tuesday. They are John Clarke of the University of California, Berkeley, Michel Devoret of Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and John Martinis of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The scientists were recognized for experiments using an electrical circuit with superconductors that demonstrated how quantum tunneling can be observed on a visible scale.

Quantum tunneling is the ability of particles to move through barriers and appear on the other side.

The academy notes the laureates’ work provides opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum computers.

The chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, Olle Eriksson, said, “It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises.”