Overview

• The Royal Swedish Academy cited “the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.”
• The trio’s 1984–85 studies used a superconducting circuit with a Josephson junction to observe tunnelling and discrete energy levels in a centimeter‑scale chip.
• The experiments showed quantum behavior in a system containing billions of Cooper pairs, extending phenomena previously seen only in few‑particle systems.
• The Nobel Committee said the results open paths for next‑generation quantum technologies, including quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum sensors.
• John Clarke said he was “completely stunned” by the call; the laureates, all U.S.-based, will share 11 million Swedish kronor at the December 10 ceremony in Stockholm.