Three scientists awarded with Nobel Prize in Physics for work in quantum technology

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger on October 4, for work that has “laid the foundation for a new era of quantum technology”.

The scientists have each conducted “groundbreaking experiments using entangled quantum states, where two particles behave like a single unit even when they are separated,” the Nobel Committee for Physics said in a briefing, according to The New York Times.

Their results, it said, cleared the way for “new technology based upon quantum information.”

Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, noted that quantum information science had broad implications in areas like secure information transfer and quantum computing.

Quantum information science is a “vibrant and rapidly developing field,” she said. “Its predictions have opened doors to another world, and it has also shaken the very foundation of how we interpret measurements.”

The Nobel committee said that the three scientists were being honoured for their experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science.

“Being able to manipulate and manage quantum states and all their layers of properties gives us access to tools with unexpected potential,” the committee said in a statement on Twitter.

It was the second of several such prizes to be awarded over the coming week. The Nobels, among the highest honours in science, recognize groundbreaking contributions in a variety of fields.

“I’m still kind of shocked, but it’s a very positive shock,” Dr. Zeilinger said of receiving the phone call informing him of the news.