The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit." 

According to the Nobel Committee for Physics, this year's Nobel Prize paves the way for next-generation quantum technologies, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors. 

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics. Olle Eriksson, chair of the committee, said it is wonderful to celebrate how century-old quantum mechanics continues to bring new surprises. "It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology."

According to the official Nobel Prize website, Clarke was born in 1942 in the UK and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the U.S. Devoret, born in 1953 in France, is a professor at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, also in the U.S. Martinis, born in 1958, is also a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

They will share the 11 million Swedish krona (approximately $1.17 million) prize equally.

The Nobel Prizes were created by the will of Alfred Nobel, who built his wealth through his invention of dynamite. Since 1901, with some pauses, the prizes have yearly recognized achievements in science, literature, and peace. Economics was added later.

Physics was the first category mentioned in Nobel's will, likely reflecting the field's importance during his time. Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics is still considered the most prestigious award in the field.

Past winners of the Nobel Physics Prize include some of the most influential figures in the history of science, such as Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Max Planck, and Niels Bohr, the last three of whom were pioneers of quantum theory.

In keeping with tradition, physics is the second Nobel Prize to be awarded this week, following the announcement of the medicine prize, which was awarded to two American and one Japanese scientist for breakthroughs in understanding the immune system. The chemistry prize is next, scheduled for Wednesday.

The science, literature, and economics prizes are awarded to the laureates by the Swedish king at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, followed by a lavish banquet at the city hall.

The Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced on Friday, will be awarded in a separate ceremony in Oslo.

(With input from agencies)