In a landmark achievement, professors John Martinis and Michel Devoret have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, underscoring the deep and lasting role that UC Santa Barbara continues to have in the field of quantum science.
UC Santa Barbara physics professors John Martinis and Michel Devoret have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing the honor with former advisor John Clarke of UC Berkeley. The trio was cited for foundational work that "revealed quantum physics in action" by demonstrating macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantisation in an electronic circuit. Their pioneering experiments in the 1980s, which used superconducting components in a Josephson junction setup, provided a critical foundation for modern digital technology, from cellphones to LED lighting, and paved the way for future breakthroughs in quantum computing and cryptography.
Their lasting influence "cannot be overstated," said UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis.
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UC Santa Barbara celebrates the Nobel Prize awarded to physicists John Martinis and Michel Devoret. In this clip, Media Relations Manager Kiki Reyes opens the press conference featuring laureate John Martinis, Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall, and Dean Shelly Gable.