Paper: GS – III, Subject: Science and Technology, Topic: Emerging Technology, Issue: Nobel Prize in Physics.
Context:
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for discovering macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in electric circuits.
Key Takeaways:
What is the Nobel Prize Physics?
- The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to individuals whose work has had a profound impact on the field of physics.
- Established in 1901, the prize honors exceptional achievements in areas such as theoretical physics, quantum mechanics, material science, and astrophysics.
What is Quantum Tunnelling?
- In quantum mechanics, particles can pass through barriers that they cannot cross in classical physics this is called “tunnelling.”
- Example: A cricket ball hitting the ground always bounces up. But in the quantum world, a particle (like an electron) might pass through the barrier (the ground) instead of bouncing as if it “tunneled” through it.
The Experimental Setup:
- The circuit contained: Two superconductors: materials that carry current with zero resistance.
- A Josephson junction: a thin, non-conducting layer separating the superconductors.
- This setup allowed observation of collective quantum behaviour where all the electrons in the superconductor acted as one quantum system.
Key Discoveries: The scientists proved that:
- Quantum tunnelling can occur in macroscopic electrical circuits.
- Energy quantisation: the absorption or emission of energy in discrete packets happens even in large-scale systems.
- A superconducting circuit can behave as a single quantum particle, exhibiting phenomena such as tunnelling and oscillations without voltage.
The 2025 Physics Nobel laureates proved quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in large superconducting circuits, bridging classical and quantum physics and expanding quantum phenomena to macroscopic systems.
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