NIST physicist David Wineland has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing the honor with Serge Haroche of France. The Nobel committee recognized their groundbreaking experimental methods for measuring and manipulating individual quantum systems, which have enabled the development of new types of superfast quantum computers and extremely precise atomic clocks.
Wineland, who has worked at NIST for 37 years, is internationally renowned for his research on trapped ions and laser cooling techniques. His work has led to advances in experimental quantum computing, ultraprecise atomic clocks, and next-generation time and frequency standards. Wineland was the first to demonstrate the building blocks of a practical quantum computer using the DiVincenzo criteria.
The Nobel citation highlights the potential impact of quantum computing and ultraprecise atomic clocks on society, suggesting they could revolutionize computing and timekeeping in the 21st century. Wineland’s accomplishments have earned him numerous awards, including the 2007 National Medal of Science and the 2010 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2012/10/nists-david-j-wineland-wins-2012-nobel-prize-physics
Keywords: laser, quantum, ions, clock, precision
