2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was conferred to scientists Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for the research in the field of quantum mechanics.
Key facts
- Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger won the Nobel Prize for their contribution towards the advancement in the understanding of subatomic particles’ behaviour
- Their four-decade long research provided solid scientific proof that “entanglement” phenomenon observed in quantum particles are real and not caused by “hidden” or “unknown” forces and that they can be used to achieve technological advancements in computing, secure communications and achieving sci-fi concept of teleportation.
- The American scientist John Clauser was the first to conduct experiment testing entanglement. His study concluded that entanglement violates the Bell’s inequality. However, sceptics pointed out that certain aspects of the experiment could have caused a favourable result.
- Alain Aspect has improved Clauser’s technique and removed loopholes the critics had found. His experiment’s conclusion also violated Bell’s inequality.
- Anton Zeilinger and his colleagues have successfully exploited entanglement properties for technological purposes. Zeilinger’s experiment demonstrated for the first time that teleportation of quantum particles is possible without shifting the particle anywhere and in the absence of a medium.
- These experiments have demonstrated that entanglement is real and can be backed by the Quantum Theory. However, the satisfactory theoretical explanation of the phenomenon is still absent.
About Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics was conferred to 221 Nobel Prize laureates between the years 1901 to 2022. John Bardeen is the only individual to receive this prestigious award twice, in 1956 to 1972. It is bestowed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to give recognition to those who have made noteworthy contributions for humanity in the field of physics. The first to receive this award was German scientist Wihelm Rontgen for the discovery of X-rays.