2025
Superconducting Quantum Circuits
Nobel Prize in Physics 2025
About This Prize
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics recognized pioneering work on macroscopic quantum phenomena and superconducting quantum circuits, enabling the development of artificial atoms and superconducting qubits. This research demonstrated that quantum mechanical effects — previously confined to the microscopic world — can manifest in macroscopic electrical circuits, paving the way for superconducting quantum computers and a new era of quantum technology built on engineered quantum systems.
Lecture 1
“From SLUGs to Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena”
Lecture 2
“From Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena to Artificial Atoms”
Lecture 3
“Prehistoric Superconducting Qubits”
Key Concepts
- • Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena: Demonstration that quantum effects such as superposition and tunneling can occur in macroscopic superconducting circuits
- • Josephson Junctions: Nonlinear quantum elements formed by thin insulating barriers between superconductors, enabling discrete energy levels in circuits
- • Superconducting Qubits: Engineered quantum two-level systems — including the transmon and Cooper pair box — that serve as the building blocks of quantum processors
- • Circuit QED: Circuit quantum electrodynamics — coupling superconducting qubits to microwave resonators to achieve strong light-matter interaction on a chip