Three American scientists, John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis, have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work in uncovering macroscopic quantum mechanical phenomena in an electric circuit, as announced by the awarding committee on Tuesday.
The prestigious award not only recognizes the trio’s achievements but also paves the way for advancements in quantum technology, encompassing areas like quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors, according to a statement released by the prize-giving organization.
Established by Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prizes have been a symbol of excellence in various fields since 1901. The physics prize, being the first category specified in Nobel’s will, retains its significance as a premier accolade in the scientific realm.
With a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million) to be split among the winners, the Nobel physics prize is bestowed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. This year’s laureates join a prestigious list of past winners, including luminaries like Albert Einstein, Pierre and Marie Curie, Max Planck, and Niels Bohr.
In the previous year, the prize was awarded to U.S. scientist John Hopfield and British-Canadian Geoffrey Hinton for their influential contributions to machine learning, which have catalyzed the rise of artificial intelligence.
Following tradition, the physics award is the second Nobel Prize to be revealed this week, with the medicine prize already conferred to two Americans and a Japanese scientist. The chemistry prize announcement is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Nobel laureates will receive their awards from the Swedish king at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the date marking Alfred Nobel’s passing. The event will be followed by an extravagant banquet at the city hall. The peace prize, set to be announced on Friday, will have a separate ceremony in Oslo.