John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics

“for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.”

Their discovery grew out of a series of experiments performed in 1984 and 1985 at UC Berkeley by the professor (Clarke), the postdoc (Devoret), and the grad student (Martinis), using superconducting circuits. In these experiments, billions of charge carriers acted collectively as a single macroscopic quantum particle. The subsequent observation of tunnelling and discrete energy levels demonstrated that quantum mechanics can govern the state of a macroscopic circuit. I will share stories about the scientists, their curiosity, their persistence, and the elegance of the experiments they conceived. It’s an opportunity to celebrate both the beauty and the challenges of experimental physics.

Before the talk (~3:45pm), tea and coffee will be served outside 116 Weniger.

After the talk, there will be a reception with food and drink in 247 Weniger.