The Nobel Committee awarded them «for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electrical circuit». The experiments of the laureates demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties can be manifested on a macroscopic scale.
«It is remarkable that century-old quantum mechanics continues to present new surprises. It is also extremely useful, as quantum mechanics underlies all digital technologies», — says Olle Eriksson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physics.
Transistors in computer microchips are one example of established quantum technology that surrounds us. This year's Nobel Prize in Physics has opened up opportunities for the development of next-generation quantum technologies, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors.