Jim McKelvey
Co-Founder of Square | Author, The Innovation Stack | Entrepreneur, Inventor & LaunchCode Co-Founder
Michel Devoret
2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics | Chief Scientist, Google Quantum AI | Professor, UC Santa Barbara & Yale | Inventor of the Transmon Qubit
2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics and the inventor of the transmon qubit, Michel Devoret is the scientist who proved quantum mechanics operates at macroscopic scale — the discovery that made modern quantum computing possible. As Chief Scientist for Quantum Hardware at Google Quantum AI, he remains at the center of the field he founded. His talks give senior audiences a credible, strategic view of quantum's real-world trajectory.
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Michel Devoret biography
Michel H. Devoret is a 2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics whose foundational experiments in the 1980s proved that quantum mechanical phenomena — long assumed to exist only at the subatomic level — could emerge in macroscopic electrical circuits. That discovery did not just advance physics theory; it laid the experimental groundwork for every superconducting quantum computer being built today. Born in Paris in 1953, Devoret trained as an engineer at Télécom Paris before earning his doctorate in condensed matter physics from Paris University in 1982, followed by postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley alongside John Clarke and John Martinis — the very collaboration the Nobel committee would later honor.
Nobel Physics speaker Michel Devoret is best known for a series of breakthroughs that defined the trajectory of quantum hardware. At CEA Saclay, he co-founded the Quantronics group, where his team invented the electron pump, measured Cooper pair charge directly, and developed the quantronium qubit. After joining Yale University in 2002, he and colleagues Robert Schoelkopf and Steven Girvin co-invented the transmon qubit — now the most widely deployed qubit architecture in the world, used by IBM, Google, and virtually every major quantum computing program. He also pioneered the fluxonium qubit and demonstrated the ability to catch and reverse a quantum jump mid-flight, a result published in Nature that reshaped how physicists think about quantum measurement.
2025 Nobel Prize in Physics
In 2025, Devoret shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with John Clarke and John Martinis for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electric circuits — work the Nobel committee described as research that “essentially kicked off an entire field.” He holds the Frederick W. Beinecke Emeritus Professorship at Yale, serves as Professor of Physics at UC Santa Barbara, and is Chief Scientist for Quantum Hardware at Google Quantum AI. He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the French Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences, and has received the John Stewart Bell Prize, the Fritz London Memorial Prize, the Micius Quantum Prize, and the 2024 Comstock Prize in Physics, among many others.
As a speaker, Michel Devoret brings unmatched authority to one of the most consequential technology transitions of our era. His talks move fluently between the physics of quantum circuits and the strategic implications for industries from finance to pharmaceuticals — making quantum computing not just comprehensible, but urgent and actionable for senior audiences. Attendees gain a clear picture of where the technology genuinely stands, what timelines are realistic, and how organizations can begin positioning themselves for a quantum-enabled future. Few speakers combine Nobel-level scientific credibility with the ability to make frontier research immediately relevant to executive decision-making.
Michel Devoret Speaking Videos
Nobel Prize lecture: Michel Devoret, Nobel Prize in Physics 2025
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Michel Devoret Keynote Topics
Quantum computing has moved from theoretical curiosity to one of the most intensely contested frontiers in global technology. In this keynote, Devoret draws on his decades at the center of the field to offer a clear-eyed assessment of where quantum hardware genuinely stands, what milestones remain, and what a fault-tolerant quantum computer will actually look like when it arrives. Audiences leave with a realistic and strategically useful picture of quantum's timeline — free from hype, grounded in physics.
In the mid-1980s, a small group of physicists set out to answer a question most of their colleagues thought was absurd: could a circuit you could hold in your hand obey the laws of quantum mechanics? The answer was yes — and that experiment launched a field. Devoret tells the story of that breakthrough from the inside, drawing lessons about scientific risk-taking, the relationship between curiosity-driven research and transformative technology, and what it means to work on ideas that seem impossible until they aren't.
The central challenge in quantum computing today is not whether the physics works — it does — but whether engineers can build systems reliable enough to outperform classical computers on real tasks. Devoret explains the architecture of superconducting quantum processors, the concept of quantum error correction, and the technical path toward fault-tolerant quantum computing. This technically substantive talk is tailored for audiences in science, engineering, and technology strategy who want to understand not just what quantum computers do, but how they are actually built.
Quantum computing is not a distant prospect — it is a near-term strategic reality for sectors from pharmaceuticals and materials science to cryptography and financial modeling. Devoret maps the most credible near-term applications of quantum technology, explains which industries face the greatest disruption, and offers a framework for how organizations can begin preparing now. This forward-looking session bridges fundamental physics and executive strategy, giving leaders the conceptual tools to make informed decisions about quantum investment and readiness.
FAQs on Booking Michel Devoret
Why Michel Devoret?
Booking Michel Devoret for your event is a rare opportunity to bring one of the world's most credentialed voices in quantum technology to your audience. As a 2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics and Chief Scientist for Quantum Hardware at Google Quantum AI, Devoret speaks with firsthand authority on how quantum computing actually works — and what it means for the future of business, science, and national competitiveness. Unlike most technology speakers, he helped invent the hardware architectures that every major quantum program is built on today. His ability to translate Nobel-level physics into clear, strategic insight makes him an exceptional choice for leadership summits, technology conferences, and organizations navigating the shift to quantum-era computing. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Michel Devoret for your next event.
What did Michel Devoret win the Nobel Prize for?
Michel Devoret was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with John Clarke and John Martinis for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit. Their landmark experiments in the mid-1980s demonstrated for the first time that a macroscopic electrical circuit — one large enough to see with the naked eye — could behave according to the laws of quantum mechanics. This was a foundational result: it showed that superconducting circuits could serve as quantum systems, opening the door to an entirely new class of quantum hardware. That hardware lineage leads directly to the quantum computers being developed today at Google, IBM, and other leading institutions.
What is the transmon qubit and did Michel Devoret invent it?
The transmon qubit is one of the most important building blocks in modern quantum computing. Devoret co-invented it in 2007 with Yale colleagues Robert Schoelkopf and Steven Girvin. The transmon addressed a major practical problem in earlier superconducting qubits: sensitivity to electrical noise that caused rapid decoherence and computation errors. By engineering the circuit to be largely immune to charge noise, the transmon qubit became far more stable and reproducible — and it went on to be adopted by virtually every leading quantum computing program in the world, including those at Google and IBM. It remains the dominant qubit architecture in superconducting quantum computing.
What topics does Nobel speaker Michel Devoret cover?
Michel Devoret speaks on the science and strategic implications of quantum computing, covering topics such as the current state of quantum hardware, the path to fault-tolerant quantum computers, the role of superconducting circuits in quantum technology, and what the quantum transition means for industries including finance, healthcare, materials science, and national security. He also addresses the intersection of fundamental physics and applied innovation — offering audiences a rigorous, grounded perspective that cuts through the hype surrounding quantum technology. His talks are especially well-suited for executive audiences, technology leadership summits, and innovation conferences where intellectual depth and real-world relevance are equally valued. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to explore availability and customize a talk for your event.
How to book Michel Devoret as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Michel Devoret as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Michel Devoret's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Michel Devoret or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Michel Devoret speaking fee?
Michel Devoret speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Michel Devoret to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Michel Devoret.
How can I contact Michel Devoret?
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Can I book Michel Devoret for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Michel Devoret is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Michel Devoret for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
