Konwersatorium im. Leopolda Infelda

Since their discovery in 1971 the superfluid phases of Helium-3 have proved to be the ideal testing ground for many fundamental concepts ofmodern physics. Phenomena such as Cooper pairing, macroscopic quantum coherence, spontaneous breaking of unusual symmetries, and the formation of exotic topological defects are not only an important enrichment of the physics of condensed matter, but also provide important links to particle physics and the structure of the early universe. These discoveries where acknowledged by the Nobel prizes of 1996 and 2003. In my colloquium talk I will give a simple introduction into the physics of superfluid Helium-3.