Past Events

Abstract

Quantum liquids are physical systems which display the effects not only of quantum mechanics but also those of quantum statistics, that is of the characteristic indistinguishability of elementary particles. The most spectacular manifestations of quantum statistics are the phenomenon of Bose-Einstein condensation and the closely related one of Cooper pairing; in both cases a finite fraction of all the particles in the system are forced to all do exactly the same thing at the same time, and as a result effects which would normally be obscured by thermal noise may become visible, sometimes spectacularly so. I will review some examples of such behavior in degenerate alkali gases, superconductors and superfluid helium-3.

About the Speaker

Sir Anthony J Leggett is one of the rare physicists who have made fundamental contributions in diverse fields he has worked on. His early work focused on the superfluidity of Helium three, for which he was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003. He later set directions for the research in quantum mechanics of macroscopic systems, making fundamental contributions to our understanding of quantum physics and its implications. His recent interests include conceptual issues in quantum theory, high temperature superconductors, ultracold atomic gases and topological states in condensed matter systems.

Among many honors and distinctions, Professor Leggett is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences (foreign member), and is a Fellow of the Royal Society (UK), the American Physical Society, and the American Institute of Physics. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics (UK). He was knighted (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004 for “services to physics".

Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the seminar.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.