2025 Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Scientists for Breakthrough Discoveries in Quantum Mechanics

John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John M Martinis have been awarded this year's prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work in quantum mechanics.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday that the three scientists received the honor for "the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit."

According to the prize-awarding committee, "This year's Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors."

All three laureates currently conduct their research in the United States, contributing significantly to the advancement of quantum physics applications.

The Nobel physics prize carries a substantial monetary award of 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.2 million), which is divided among multiple recipients when applicable, as is often the case.

Established through Alfred Nobel's will, who amassed his fortune from inventing dynamite, the Nobel Prizes have recognized exceptional achievements in science, literature, and peace annually since 1901, with occasional interruptions. The economics prize was added later to the prestigious awards.

Physics was notably the first category mentioned in Nobel's will, likely reflecting the field's prominence during his lifetime. Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics continues to be widely regarded as the most distinguished award in the discipline.

The list of past Nobel physics laureates includes some of science's most influential figures, such as Albert Einstein, Pierre and Marie Curie, Max Planck, and Niels Bohr, who was instrumental in developing quantum theory.

Last year's physics prize was awarded to US scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton for their pioneering breakthroughs in machine learning that fueled the artificial intelligence revolution, a development about which both have also expressed certain reservations.

Following tradition, physics is the second Nobel announced this week, after two American scientists and one Japanese researcher claimed the medicine prize for breakthroughs in understanding the immune system. The chemistry prize announcement follows on Wednesday.

The science, literature, and economics prizes will be presented to the laureates by the Swedish monarch at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, commemorating the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, followed by an elaborate banquet at the city hall.

The peace prize, which will be announced on Friday, is presented in a separate ceremony held in Oslo, Norway.