STOCKHOLM — John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work on quantum tunneling, a phenomenon at the subatomic level that has paved the way for advances in modern computing, communications, and precision measurement.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday that the trio’s decades-long research bridged the gap between the “weirdness of quantum mechanics” and practical, real-world technologies that underpin digital life today.

Clarke, 83, conducted his work at the University of California, Berkeley; Martinis at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Devoret at Yale University and UC Santa Barbara.

“One of the underlying reasons that cellphones work is because of all this work,” Clarke told The Associated Press, speaking by cellphone after learning of his win. “It had never occurred to me, ever, that I would win the Nobel Prize.”

Their pioneering experiments in the 1980s revealed how quantum particles could tunnel through seemingly impenetrable barriers — behavior that defies classical physics but has since become foundational to technologies such as quantum computers, ultra-sensitive sensors, and advanced medical imaging.

Jonathan Bagger, CEO of the American Physical Society, said the laureates “took something we can’t see or touch and made it usable — a leap that transformed how we understand and harness the quantum world.”

Mark Pearce, an astrophysics professor and Nobel Committee member, said the discoveries have far-reaching implications. “Quantum computers are one clear application, but this research also improves quantum sensors for measuring magnetic fields and has implications for encryption and data security,” he said.

While Clarke humbly downplayed the immediate link between his team’s research and modern devices, experts say their discoveries have made existing technologies more powerful and precise.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and satellite communications, for example, benefit from quantum-level precision made possible by their work.

“Quantum mechanics is everywhere — in the cellphone, in the satellite that connects to it, and even in the screens we watch,” Bagger added. “They found a way to show quantum weirdness on a human scale.”

The Nobel Committee praised the laureates for helping transform century-old theory into a practical frontier for innovation.

“Quantum mechanics continues to surprise and serve humanity,” said committee chair Olle Eriksson. “It is the foundation of all digital technology.”

Martinis’ wife, Jean, told reporters that her husband was still asleep when the news broke.

“He doesn’t like surprises,” she said, adding that in previous years they stayed up to watch the announcement but “at some point, we decided sleep was more important.”

The award marks the 119th time the Nobel Prize in Physics has been presented. Last year’s winners were AI pioneers John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, recognized for their contributions to machine learning.

This year’s Nobel season continues with the chemistry prize on Wednesday, literature on Thursday, the Peace Prize on Friday, and the economics award on Oct. 13.

The winners will receive 11 million Swedish kronor (nearly $1.2 million) each at the Dec. 10 ceremony in Stockholm, held on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. — Agencies