The Department of Physics is organising a Research Seminar on “Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling and Nobel Prize in Physics – 2025” by Dr Krishna Prasad Maity, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, SRM University-AP.
Abstract
Quantum tunneling, proposed by Erwin Schrödinger in 1926, is a unique quantum phenomenon with no classical equivalent. It has been observed in microscopic systems like alpha decay and scanning tunneling microscopy but remained unverified at the macroscopic scale for decades.
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H Devoret, and John M Martinis from the University of California for observing macroscopic quantum tunneling in a superconducting tunnel junction, known as the Josephson junction. Their experiments measured the voltage across the junction, corresponding to the quantum phase difference between two superconductors, and revealed that the particles occupy discrete, quantized energy levels. This pioneering work laid the foundation for qubits—the basic units of future quantum computers. In this talk, I will discuss their discovery and its significance for the future of quantum technology.
Join for an interactive and insightful session!