Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 | Quantum on a Chip: Macroscopic Tunneling

Quantum mechanics says that particles can sometimes cross barriers they don’t have the energy to climb, like boring through a mountain instead of scaling it first. This process, called tunnelling, is common in nuclear and atomic physics. The 2025 physics Nobel Prize laureates John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis showed that such behaviour can occur not only in subatomic particles but also in an electrical circuit made of superconductors. The finding opens the door to new technologies set to transform the way we collect, study, understand, and use information from our surroundings. They also showed quantised energy levels in such a system: the circuit absorbs or emits energy in discrete steps, consistent with quantum mechanical predictions. This work blurs the line between what’s “quantum” and what’s “classical” — showing that quantum mechanics applies not just in microscopic or atomic scales, but can scale up. It lays deeper foundations for quantum technology: things like quantum computers, ultra‑sensitive sensors, and quantum cryptography benefit from better control and understanding of quantum effects in tangible, larger circuits. #NobelPrize #Physics2025 #QuantumTunneling #MacroscopicQuantum #EnergyQuantisation #QuantumCircuit #NextGenQuantumTech #ScienceBreakthrough #FromTheoryToDevice #QuantumLeap