UC Santa Barbara Faculty Awarded 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics

UCSB physicists John Martinis and Michel Devoret and UC Berkeley John Clarke recognized for their pioneering work in quantum physics

The College of Creative Studies (CCS) is pleased to share with the community that UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) emeritus professor of physics John Martinis and UCSB professor of physics Michel Devoret with UC Berkeley emeritus professor of physics John Clarke were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational “discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit.” According to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, their discoveries, uncovered during experiments in 1984-1985 “revealed quantum physics in action.”

While at UCSB, Professor Martinis was on the CCS physics faculty. In addition to teaching an array of courses and an experimental physics series, he was instrumental in strengthening the College’s physics program and mentored CCS physics students who participated in the College’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. 

CCS congratulates Professors Martinis, Devoret, and Clarke for this momentous honor in recognition of their work. 

Read the full story in The Current, October 7, 2025 and in UC Newsroom, October 7, 2025. 

View the UCSB press conference, October 7, 2025.