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The impact of helium shortages on basic research

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Helium is non-renewable. It is used in many areas of scientific research but demand is fast outstripping supply. We must adapt, and quickly.

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Figure 1

© DR. ANDREW CASEY

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful for survey results and advice from M. Chan; information from T. Spisak, J. Peterson and J. Hamak; Y-Q. Song; H. Godfrin and C. Gianese; J. Saunders and A. Casey; Y. Sasaki; H. Fukuyama; S. Lee; G. Kuang; J. Long; S. Brown; J. Owers-Bradley; P. Lee; C. Collett; J. Pollanen; and G. Gervais; and continuing support for low-temperature physics from the National Science Foundation (DMR-1103625) and the DOE Basic Energy Science, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering (DE-FG02-05ER46248).

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  1. W. P. Halperin is in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA,

    W. P. Halperin

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  1. W. P. Halperin
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Correspondence to W. P. Halperin.

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Halperin, W. The impact of helium shortages on basic research. Nature Phys 10, 467–470 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3018

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