Description:

The remarkable discovery of superfluid 3He has paved the way for the modern era of quantum condensed states of matter. I will recount this development from a very personal perspective highlighting the role of serendipity and the interplay between experiment and prediction. There are fits and starts, beautiful physics, a road that continues with rich promise and the occasional disappointment. Yet superfluid 3He is inspirational for unconventional superconductivity, possible condensates of dense quark matter, cores of neutron stars, and proposed sensors of dark matter.

William Halperin, Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University