MilestoneHardwareConfirmed
Haroche and Wineland win the Nobel Prize for controlling single quantum particles
Oct 9, 2012
The 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Serge Haroche of the Collège de France and David Wineland of NIST for methods to measure and manipulate individual quantum systems. Wineland traps charged atoms (ions) and controls them with light; Haroche traps particles of light and probes them with atoms.
Why it matters
The Nobel committee said their methods let the field take "the very first steps" toward a new type of super fast computer based on quantum physics.
Serge Haroche · David J. Wineland · Nobel Prize · NIST
Sources (2)
-
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (NobelPrize.org)
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 - Press release
“The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2012 to Serge Haroche Collège de France and Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France and David J. Wineland National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Colorado Boulder, CO, USA”
-
NIST
Congratulations to David Wineland! 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics
“We are thrilled at the news that NIST's David Wineland has been awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics, along with Professor Serge Haroche of the Collège de France and Ecole Normale Supérieure.”
Each quote above was checked automatically against the original page. Added Oct 15, 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will review it.