Nobel Prize for physics: The duo that opened the door to quantum computers
Today the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in physics to American David J. Wineland and Serge Haroche of France, who pioneered two similar experimental techniques for observing and controlling systems of quantum particles. “The Nobel laureates have opened the door to a new era of experimentation with quantum physics by demonstrating the direct observation of individual quantum particles without destroying them,” said the academy in a press release. The physicists’ efforts, described as “bringing to life the wildest dreams of science fiction,” could make possible a computer more powerful than any seen before.