Title:
Superfluidity in Helium-Three:
The Discovery Through the Eyes of a Graduate Student
Douglas Osheroff
Stanford University
Winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics

Abstract:

In a repeat performance of his 1996 Nobel lecture, Professor Douglas Osheroff will describe a seven month period when, as a graduate student, he discovered superfluidity in 3He. Superfluidity is a "macroscopic state" of matter, in which a fluid flows literally without friction. In 3He, superfluid phases form at extremely low temperatures. By establishing a link between superfluidity and its cousin, superconductivity, Osheroff et al. provided tremendous insight into the laws of quantum physics.