Trio wins Physics Nobel for building device showing ‘quantum tunnelling’, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis.
• They demonstrated and experimented with quantum tunneling, a phenomenon where particles pass through physical barriers.
• The scientists created an electrical circuit with superconductors separated by a Josephson junction.
• Their work has implications for understanding and utilizing quantum mechanics in technology.

Detailed Insights:

• Quantum tunneling is a behavior where particles can pass through barriers, unobservable at the macroscopic level.
• The scientists organized numerous single particles to exhibit tunneling properties using an electrical circuit.
• The circuit consisted of two superconductors separated by a thin layer of non-conducting material called a Josephson junction.
• They demonstrated that charged particles in the superconductor could behave in unison, simulating electricity flow without voltage.
• John Clarke specialized in exploring phenomena using superconductors and the Josephson junction at UC Berkeley.
• Michel Devoret and John Martinis joined Clarke's research group to demonstrate macroscopic quantum tunneling.
• Their research highlights the ongoing relevance of quantum mechanics and its importance in digital technology.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Quantum Tunneling: The ability of a particle to pass through a potential energy barrier that it classically cannot surmount.
• Superconductor: A material that can conduct electricity with no resistance below a specific critical temperature.
• Josephson Junction: A device consisting of two superconductors separated by a thin layer of insulating material.