Nobel Prize Validates 'Quantum Computer'... "It's Not If, But When"

Quantum Computer Core Technology Wins Nobel Prize in Physics
Quantum Entanglement Also Honored with Nobel Prize in 2022
IBM's Hanhee Baek: "Quantum Computers Are Becoming Part of Everyday Life"
Director Jaewan Kim: "The World Will Be Dramatically Different in Ten Years"

The recipients of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics were John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis, recognized for their discovery of "macroscopic quantum tunneling phenomena and energy quantization in electrical circuits," which are core technologies for the realization of quantum computers.

This comes just three years after Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were awarded the Nobel Prize for experimentally proving quantum entanglement in 2022. In the quantum computing field and academia, this year's award is regarded as both a monumental tribute to the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics and a signal to the world that the "quantum era" is no longer a distant future, but a reality that is rapidly approaching.

Dr. Hanhee Baek from IBM is being interviewed by Asia Economy at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Dr. Hanhee Baek, a quantum expert at IBM in the United States, welcomed the significance of this Nobel Prize in Physics, saying, "The fact that the fundamental principles for building quantum computers have received the Nobel Prize in Physics makes me feel that quantum computers are becoming ever closer to our daily lives."

Dr. Baek explained that the awarded research forms the foundation of superconducting qubits, which are the core technology in quantum computer development. She evaluated it as "the discovery of the fundamental physical phenomenon that enables the creation of superconducting qubits today."

While the 2022 Nobel Prize was awarded for research on entanglement, the very foundation of quantum mechanics, this year's award highlights the starting point for quantum computers using superconductors. This indicates that research is now leading to industrialization.

Dr. Baek conveyed the prevailing sentiment, stating, "Within the quantum computing academic and industrial communities, there is a consensus that this was a significant achievement that truly deserved the Nobel Prize," and added, "This award seems to have served as an opportunity to showcase the importance of superconducting qubits in both academia and industry."

Kim Jaewan, director of the Hyperconnected Expansion-Type Hyperconnected Super Quantum Computing Strategic Research Group, also evaluated this award as an important milestone signaling the advent of the quantum era. Director Kim remarked, "There have been many doubts about whether quantum computers would ever become a reality, but now the question is when, not if. In five to ten years, the world will be dramatically different."

Dr. Baek and Director Kim also shared their personal connections with the Nobel laureates. Dr. Baek conducted research with Professor Devoret as a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University. She recalled, "I learned about circuit quantization directly from Professor Devoret and published several related papers. He taught me the most important attitude in physics research: to accurately understand and contemplate the essence and interactions of things."

The topic of Dr. Baek's doctoral dissertation was also "quantized energy states in superconducting Josephson junctions," which is directly related to the Nobel-winning research. Dr. Baek's doctoral advisor, Professor Fred Wellstood, is also a student of Professor Clarke, one of this year's Nobel laureates. The research results of the Nobel laureates have thus continued to influence the development of superconducting qubit technology, in which Dr. Baek has played a leading role.

Kim Jaewan, director of the Hyperconnected Expansion-Type Hyperconnected Super Quantum Computing Strategic Research Group (left), is taking a commemorative photo with John Clauser, founder of the John Clauser Association, who visited Korea to attend the Quantum Korea 2023 event (center), and John Martinis, professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara (right). Founder Clauser and Professor Martinis were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2022 and 2025, respectively. Provided by Director Kim Jaewan.

Director Kim noted that both John Martinis, this year's Nobel laureate, and John Clauser, the 2022 laureate, attended "Quantum Korea 2023" held in Korea. During their visit, they delivered lectures and engaged in in-depth discussions about the future of quantum technology.

Director Kim said, "At the time, Dr. Martinis was the lead responsible for Google's demonstration of a 53-qubit quantum computer," and noted that his experience and insights provided significant inspiration for quantum research in Korea.

What is the next direction for quantum computer research? Director Kim stated that the next technological breakthrough for quantum computers will be "connection." For quantum computers to fulfill their expected roles, they must be able to form tens of thousands to millions of qubits. The "Hyperconnected Expansion-Type Hyperconnected Super Quantum Computing Strategic Research Group," led by the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science and directed by Kim, aims to expand qubits through interconnection. An inauguration ceremony was held on September 30. Director Kim expressed confidence, saying, "Although Korea is more than 20 years behind in the competition to develop qubits themselves, we have an opportunity to lead the world in the new field of connecting quantum computers."