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Nobel Prize in physics awarded for ultracold electronics research that launched a quantum technology

Quantum mechanics describes the weird behavior of microscopic particles. Using quantum systems to perform computation promises to allow researchers to solve problems in areas from chemistry to cryptography that have so many possible solutions that they are beyond the capabilities of even the most powerful nonquantum computers possible.

Quantum computing depends on researchers developing practical quantum technologies. Superconducting electrical circuits are a promising technology, but not so long ago it was unclear whether they even showed . The 2025 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three scientists for their work demonstrating that quantum effects persist even in large electrical circuits, which has enabled the development of practical quantum technologies.

I’m a physicist who studies superconducting circuits for quantum computing and other uses. The work in my field stems from the groundbreaking research the Nobel laureates conducted.

The world’s most sensitive computer code is vulnerable to attack. A new encryption method can help

Nowadays data breaches aren’t rare shocks—they’re a weekly drumbeat. From leaked customer records to stolen source code, our digital lives keep spilling into the open.

Git services are especially vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. These are online hosting platforms that are widely used in the IT industry to collaboratively develop software, and are home to most of the world’s computer code.

Just last week, hackers reportedly stole about 570 gigabytes of data from a git service called GitLab. The stolen data was associated with major companies such as IBM and Siemens, as well as United States government organizations.

Quantum Tunneling Experiments Earn Team The Nobel Prize in Physics

Briton John Clarke, Frenchman Michel Devoret and American John Martinis won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for putting quantum mechanics into action and enabling the development of all kinds of digital technology from cellphones to a new generation of computers.

The Nobel jury noted that their work had “provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers and quantum sensors”

Quantum mechanics describes how differently things work on incredibly small scales.

2025 Nobel Prize in Physics Peer Review

Introduction.

Grounded in the scientific method, it critically examines the work’s methodology, empirical validity, broader implications, and opportunities for advancement, aiming to foster deeper understanding and iterative progress in quantum technologies. ## Executive Summary.

This work, based on experiments conducted in 1984–1985, addresses a fundamental question in quantum physics: the scale at which quantum effects persist in macroscopic systems.

By engineering a Josephson junction-based circuit where billions of Cooper pairs behave collectively as a single quantum entity, the laureates provided empirical evidence that quantum phenomena like tunneling through energy barriers and discrete energy levels can manifest in human-scale devices.

This breakthrough bridges microscopic quantum mechanics with macroscopic engineering, laying foundational groundwork for advancements in quantum technologies such as quantum computing, cryptography, and sensors.

Overall strengths include rigorous experimental validation and profound implications for quantum information science, though gaps exist in scalability to room-temperature applications and full mitigation of environmental decoherence.

Framed within the broader context, this award highlights the enduring evolution of quantum mechanics from theoretical curiosity to practical innovation, building on prior Nobel-recognized discoveries like the Josephson effect (1973) and superconductivity mechanisms (1972).

Continue reading “2025 Nobel Prize in Physics Peer Review” | >

Signal adds new cryptographic defense against quantum attacks

Signal announced the introduction of Sparse Post-Quantum Ratchet (SPQR), a new cryptographic component designed to withstand quantum computing threats.

SPQR will serve as an advanced mechanism that continuously updates the encryption keys used in conversations and discarding the old ones.

Signal is a cross-platform, end-to-end encrypted messaging and calling app managed by the non-profit Signal Foundation, with an estimated monthly active user base of up to 100 million.

Quantum key distribution method tested in urban infrastructure offers secure communications

In the era of instant data exchange and growing risks of cyberattacks, scientists are seeking secure methods of transmitting information. One promising solution is quantum cryptography—a quantum technology that uses single photons to establish encryption keys.

A team from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw has developed and tested in a novel system for quantum key distribution (QKD). The system employs so-called high-dimensional encoding. The proposed setup is simpler to build and scale than existing solutions, while being based on a phenomenon known to physicists for nearly two centuries—the Talbot effect. The research results have been published in the journals Optica Quantum, Optica, and Physical Review Applied.

“Our research focuses on quantum key distribution (QKD)—a technology that uses single photons to establish a secure cryptographic key between two parties,” says Dr. Michał Karpiński, head of the Quantum Photonics Laboratory at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.

White Rabbit optical timing technology meets quantum entanglement

A small yet innovative experiment is taking place at CERN. Its goal is to test how the CERN-born optical timing signal—normally used in the Laboratory’s accelerators to synchronize devices with ultra-high precision—can best be sent through an optical fiber alongside a single-photon signal from a source of quantum-entangled photons. The results could pave the way for using this technique in quantum networks and quantum cryptography.

Research in is growing rapidly worldwide. Future quantum networks could connect quantum computers and sensors, without losing any . They could also enable the secure exchange of information, opening up applications across many fields.

Unlike classical networks, where information is encoded in binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum networks rely on the unique properties of quantum bits, or “qubits,” such as superposition (where a qubit can exist in multiple states simultaneously) and entanglement (where the state of one qubit influences the state of another no matter how far apart they are).

Electrically tunable metasurface unlocks real-time THz holography

The terahertz (THz) band of the electromagnetic spectrum holds immense promise for next-generation technologies, including high-speed wireless communication, advanced encryption, and medical imaging. However, manipulating THz waves has long been a technical challenge, since these frequencies interact weakly with most natural materials.

Over the past two decades, researchers have increasingly turned to metasurfaces to tackle this problem. These are ultrathin materials carefully engineered to exhibit specialized properties, providing unprecedented control over THz waves.

Ideally, metasurfaces for THz applications in encryption and holography should be easily configurable, featuring an adjustable response that can be controlled externally. Despite this, tunable metasurface systems often rely on cumbersome or energy-inefficient methods, such as external thermal control.

Microsoft shares temp fix for Outlook encrypted email errors

Microsoft is investigating a known issue that triggers Outlook errors when opening encrypted emails sent from other organizations.

According to a recently published support document, this issue affects users in all Office channels who are using the classic Outlook email client.

“Currently, when using classic Outlook for Windows, you can’t open an OMEv2 encrypted email if it was sent from a separate organization (what we call another tenant),” Microsoft said.

SlimeMoldCrypt relies on gloopy living organism’s ever-changing network of tendrils for its dynamic, biological, encryption engine — inventor claims concept is resistant to decryption ‘even by quantum machines’

But treat your physarum polycephalum well, or it could die.

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