- Quantum tunneling and energy quantization demonstrated in hand‑sized superconducting circuit.
- Billions of particles behaved collectively as one coherent quantum entity.
- Artificial atoms became building blocks for quantum computers and sensors.
Quantum mechanics typically operates in a realm invisible to the naked eye. Single particles tunnel through barriers, absorb energy in precise packets, and behave in ways that defy everyday experience. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes three scientists who shattered that boundary.
John Clarke of UC Berkeley, Michel Devoret of Yale, and John Martinis of UC Santa Barbara demonstrated quantum tunneling and energy quantization in a circuit large enough to hold in your hand. Their breakthrough proved that billions of particles could act as a single quantum entity.
Key figure
Billions
of particles behaving as a single quantum entity – in a circuit you could hold in your hand
The Superconducting Circuit Experiment
In 1984 and 1985, the three physicists built an electrical circuit using superconductors - materials that conduct current without resistance. They separated the superconducting components with a thin layer of non-conductive material, creating what's known as a Josephson junction.
What is a Josephson junction?
A Josephson junction is a thin insulating barrier sandwiched between two superconductors. Normally, insulators block electrical current – but quantum mechanics allows particles to tunnel straight through. This makes the junction an exquisitely sensitive quantum switch, and the key component in superconducting qubits used in quantum computers today.
The setup trapped charged particles in a zero-voltage state, like a ball sitting at the bottom of a valley with walls too high to climb. Classical physics predicted the system would remain stuck indefinitely.
Instead, the macroscopic system demonstrated quantum tunneling. The billions of Cooper pairs in the superconductor behaved collectively as a single particle, escaping the zero-voltage state by passing straight through the energy barrier. The escape registered as a detectable voltage change.
Nobel Prize For Quantum Behavior at Human Scale
The researchers also confirmed energy quantization in their macroscopic system. Like atoms that absorb and emit energy in discrete packets, their circuit could only accept or release specific amounts of energy.
It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises.
Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics
Previous demonstrations of quantum tunneling and energy quantization involved systems with just a few particles. This experiment scaled those effects up by billions of particles while maintaining quantum coherence across the entire circuit - bringing quantum physics into the tangible realm.
Artificial Atoms and Future Technology
The breakthrough created what researchers call an artificial atom - a macroscopic quantum system with cables and connectors that can interface with other devices. This scalability opened new possibilities for quantum technology development.
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→The artificial atoms now serve as building blocks for quantum computers, with Martinis later using the energy quantization principles in quantum computing experiments. The systems also enable quantum cryptography and ultra-sensitive quantum sensors.
The discovery fundamentally changed how physicists think about the boundary between quantum and classical worlds. Rather than quantum effects disappearing at larger scales, the research showed they could be preserved and controlled in macroscopic systems through careful engineering.
Turns out the quantum realm was never confined by size. We were just looking too close.
Fact Check: Claim-by-Claim Verification Verified
The article accurately reports the 2025 Nobel Prize winners, their affiliations, experiments, and scientific claims, all matching official Nobel documentation and peer-reviewed sources.
Commentary
- Article simplifies complex physics for popular audience (e.g., "hold in your hand" aligns with Nobel's description of hand-held chip scale), which is appropriate and not misleading.
- Martinis' later quantum computing work builds directly on this foundational research, as confirmed by sources.
Sources used for verification
Academic/Peer-reviewed:
- Nobel Prize Press Release: Physics 2025 - nobelprize.org
- Measurements of Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling... Josephson Junction - aps.org
- Energy-Level Quantization... Josephson Junction - aps.org
- Quantum Mechanics of a Macroscopic Variable - PubMed
Other reliable sources:
- John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis win 2025 Nobel - physicsworld.com
- John Clarke UC Berkeley Nobel 2025 - berkeley.edu
- Nobel Prize Superconducting Circuits Macroscopic Quantum - umd.edu
Fact-checked by Perplexity Sonar Pro on 2026-03-08
