Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to three French scientists

Three scientists jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year for their work on quantum information science that has significant applications, for example in the field of encryption.

Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for pioneering quantum information science. Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel committee, said that quantum information science is a rapidly developing field. It has potential implications in areas such as secure information transfer, quantum computing and sensing technology. Its origin can be traced back to that of quantum mechanics, she said. Its predictions have opened doors to another world, and it has shaken the very foundations of how we interpret measurements. Their research provides the foundations for many practical applications of science, despite the fact that physicists often tackle problems that appear to be far removed from everyday concerns, such as tiny particles and the vast mysteries of space and time.

The prize was awarded to three scientists last year — Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi whose work has helped explain and predict complex forces of nature, thereby expanding our understanding of climate change.

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine Monday for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system.

They continue with chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award will be announced on October 10.

The prizes have a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor nearly $900,000 and will be handed out on December 10. The prize's creator, Alfred Nobel, died in 1895, left a bequest that made the money come from a bequest left by the prize's creator.