Nobel Prize in Physics Winner: John Martinis on the State of Quantum
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
Nobel Prize in Physics recipient John Martinis joins the podcast to discuss his groundbreaking 1985 experiment that demonstrated quantum mechanics working at a macroscopic scale. Martinis shares his journey from growing up in San Pedro, California, to studying at UC Berkeley where he tackled a fundamental physics question posed by Nobel laureate Anthony Leggett. (04:17)
• The conversation explores Martinis' quantum tunneling experiments with Josephson junctions, which led to the development of quantum computing technologies and established the foundation for modern superconducting quantum computers at companies like Google and IBM.
Speakers
John Martinis
The 2025 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Martinis grew up in San Pedro, California, and studied physics and astrophysics at UC Berkeley. He spent his career developing quantum devices, working at institutions including the National Institute of Standards and Technology and UC Santa Barbara, before leading Google's Quantum Lab where his team achieved quantum supremacy in 2019 with a 53-qubit quantum computer. He recently founded his own quantum computing company focused on next-generation fabrication techniques.
David Friedberg
Host of the All-In podcast and accomplished entrepreneur in the technology and life sciences sectors. Friedberg conducts in-depth interviews with leading scientists and innovators, bringing complex scientific concepts to a broader audience through engaging conversations.
Key Takeaways
Build a Foundation in Practical Skills
Martinis credits his father, a fireman without a high school education, for teaching him to build things in the garage, which gave him an empirical understanding of how physics works. (01:34) This hands-on experience proved invaluable when he later needed to design and construct complex quantum experiments. The practical skills he developed in childhood directly informed his experimental approach and made abstract physics concepts more tangible and understandable.
Recognize Transformative Questions Early
When Anthony Leggett posed the question of whether macroscopic objects could behave quantum mechanically, Martinis immediately recognized its importance as a graduate student. (04:14) This demonstrates the value of identifying fundamental questions that could reshape entire fields. The ability to spot paradigm-shifting research opportunities, even when their practical applications aren't immediately obvious, can define a career in science and technology.
Leverage Richard Feynman's Insight on Quantum Computing
At a UC Santa Barbara conference, Feynman gave a talk about using quantum mechanics for computation, which Martinis witnessed as a graduate student. (25:36) Despite not fully understanding everything at the time, Martinis recognized the profound interest this generated among physicists and saw it as worthy life work. This moment illustrates how exposure to visionary ideas, even when not fully comprehended initially, can provide crucial career direction.
Focus on Engineering Excellence Over Hype
Rather than relying solely on AI and software solutions, Martinis emphasizes building quantum systems "cleanly enough" with clear control mechanisms to achieve great performance. (39:58) His approach involves partnering with semiconductor industry leaders like Applied Materials to develop next-generation fabrication processes that could leapfrog competitors, particularly in the US-China technological competition.
Choose Industrial Partnerships for Scale
Martinis made the strategic decision to leave academia for Google because building quantum computers required keeping large teams together long-term, and Google had the necessary financial resources. (29:41) This transition enabled his team to achieve quantum supremacy with 53 qubits in 2019. The lesson is that transformative technologies often require industrial-scale resources and sustained investment that academic institutions cannot provide.
Statistics & Facts
- Quantum computers currently operate with about 50-100 fully controlled qubits for superconducting systems, but will need approximately one million qubits to become general-purpose computers capable of solving really hard problems. (40:00)
- Martinis' team achieved quantum supremacy in 2019 using a 53-qubit quantum computer that could run mathematical algorithms much faster than classical computers could emulate. (30:00)
- Current quantum bits can only perform between 100-1000 operations before losing their memory due to noise, requiring constant error correction similar to refreshing dynamic RAM. (40:26)
