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Physics and High Technology

Evidence for Superconducting Artificial Atom

Yong‐Joo Doh

Published Dec 23, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the experimental demonstration of macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy quantization of the phase particle defined in a Josephson junction. This groundbreaking work extended quantum mechanics beyond microscopic systems into the macroscopic realm. By revealing that Josephson junctions could function as superconducting artificial atoms, the discovery enabled researchers to engineer and control quantum states with unprecedented precision, thereby providing a crucial foundation for the subsequent development of superconducting quantum computers.

DOI
10.3938/phit.34.035

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This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the experimental demonstration of macroscopic quantum tunneling and energy quantization of the phase particle defined in a Josephson junction. This groundbreaking work extended quantum mechanics beyond microscopic systems into the macroscopic realm. By revealing that Josephson junctions could function as superconducting artificial atoms, the discovery enabled researchers to engineer and control quantum states with unprecedented precision, thereby providing a crucial foundation for the subsequent development of superconducting quantum computers.
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 was awarded jointly to John Clarke，Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantization in an electric circuit”. Their landmark research validated the laws of quantum mechanics at the macroscopic scale，breaking the traditional notion that quantum behavior is confined to the microscopic realm. This breakthrough directly catalyzed the advent of superconducting quantum computing and has been hailed as “opening a door to quantum technologies.”
The Nobel laureates of this year have devised an experiment to observe macroscopic quantum tunneling in an electrical circuit made of superconductors. This monumental discovery has sparked numerous innovations and ultimately earned the three pioneers the Nobel prize. Afterwards, superconducting circuits play a key role in the proliferation of quantum technology in the 21st century. Especially, in the heart of the 2nd quantum revolution, quantum information technology is based on the radical development of the quantum computers. Superconducting Josephson junction devices has been the most advanced technology that has been picked up by the global tech giants in quantum computing. I will briefly review how the superconducting quantum chips and the macroscopic quantum effect had led innovation in quantum technology afterwards.
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The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes a conceptual shift that has been more than a century in the making: the transition from observing quantum phenomena in materials to deliberately engineering quantum behaviour in macroscopic electrical circuits. Awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis, the prize honours the experimental demonstration and control of macroscopic quantum tunnelling and energy quantization in superconducting circuits. Their work resolved a long-standing question at the heart of quantum mechanics: can an object large enough to wire, probe, and manipulate behave as a single quantum system? The answer, now unequivocally, is yes.
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In the realm of physics, a pivotal moment occurred six decades ago when Brian Josephson made a groundbreaking prediction, setting in motion a series of events that would eventually earn him the prestigious Nobel Prize eleven years later. This prediction centered around what is now known as the Josephson effect, a phenomenon with far-reaching implications. At the heart of this effect lies the Josephson junction (JJ), a device that has become a linchpin in various scientific applications. This chapter delves into the foundational principles of the Josephson effect and the remarkable properties of JJs. From their role in metrology to their application in radiation detectors, these junctions have ushered in a new era of electronics. Exploiting the unique features of superconductive devices, such as high speed, low dissipation, and dispersion, JJs find today practical implementation in the development of superconductive qubits and nanotechnology applications.