Douglas Osheroff coauthored discovery experiments on the low-temperature phases of helium-3. Anomalies first seen during cooling prompted further measurements rather than immediately identifying the phase correctly. Subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance observations in a Pomeranchuk cell linked changes in the liquid's magnetic response to the new phases. Combining thermodynamic behavior with a separate magnetic probe helped establish that the surprising signal belonged to a new quantum state of the liquid.[ref]
Superfluidity in 3He: Discovery and Understanding by Douglas Dean Osheroff. Nobel lecture, initial pressure anomaly and subsequent magnetic experiments
A physicist who conducted low-temperature research at Bell Laboratories and Stanford.[ref]
Middle-of-night call signals new Nobel by David Salisbury. Independent professional identity
Portrait of Douglas Osheroff
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Douglas Osheroff is an American physicist best known for his research in condensed matter physics, particularly for his work on superfluidity in liquid helium-3. Born on August 1, 1945, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1996, along with David M. Lee and Robert C. Richardson, for their discovery of superfluidity in this rare isotope of helium, which provided significant insights into quantum liquids and condensed matter physics.