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Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Michel H. Devoret for Groundbreaking Quantum Research

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— 2 min read

Yale Professor Emeritus Michel H. Devoret has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit. Devoret, 72, is a leading authority in the development of quantum technologies and has spent a career probing the intricate dynamics of qubits and quantum information. As a key member of the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), a National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, Devoret led the research team that demonstrated the first quantum error correction significantly beyond break-even, a crucial milestone toward realizing scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michel H. Devoret, Professor Emeritus of Applied Physics at Yale University, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking work on macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.
  • Devoret's research in the 1980s with John Clarke and John M. Martinis revealed quantum physics in action, laying the groundwork for the construction of artificial atoms and leading to the development of circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED).
  • As a key member of the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), Devoret led the research team that demonstrated the first quantum error correction significantly beyond break-even, a crucial milestone toward realizing scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
  • Devoret has conducted groundbreaking research in circuit QED, an approach to quantum computing that uses particles of microwave light in a superconducting microwave resonator.
  • He has received numerous honors, including the Micius Quantum Prize, the Bell Prize, the Fritz London Memorial Prize, and the National Academy of Sciences, among others.
  • Devoret is still actively involved in quantum research, currently serving as professor emeritus and research professor in Yale Engineering's applied physics department and as chief scientist for Google Quantum AI.
  • He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the French Academy of Sciences.

Statistics:

  • 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Michel H. Devoret for his groundbreaking research on macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.
  • 72 years old: the age of Michel H. Devoret at the time of the Nobel Prize award.
  • 1980s: the decade in which Devoret conducted seminal design work on artificial atoms, or qubits, in collaboration with John Clarke and John M. Martinis.
  • 10+ honors and awards received by Michel H. Devoret, including the Micius Quantum Prize, the Bell Prize, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Sources:

  • Brookhaven National Laboratory press release, October 14, 2025.
  • Yale University press release, October 14, 2025.
  • Royal Swedish National Academy announcement, October 14, 2025.
  • National Quantum Information Science Research Center press release, October 14, 2025.
  • Google Quantum AI press release, October 14, 2025.

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