French and American scientists win Nobel Physics Prize

, Oct 9: Serge Haroche of

and David Wineland of the

won the

Physics Prize on Tuesday, Oct 9 for their work on measuring and manipulating individual particles while preserving their quantum-mechanical nature.

The pair was honoured for "groundbreaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems," the jury said in its citation.

"The Nobel laureates have opened the door to a new era of experimentation with quantum physics by demonstrating the direct observation of individual quantum particles without destroying them," the Academy said in a statement.

"Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century."

PTI