Quantum critical point in heavy fermions

Abstract

The concept that heavy fermions are close to a quantum critical point and that this proximity determines their physical behavior, has opened new perspectives in the study of these systems. It has provided a new paradigm for understanding and probing the properties of these strongly correlated materials. Scaling ideas were important to establish this approach. We give below a brief and personal account of the genesis of some of these ideas 15 years ago, their implications and the future prospects for this exciting field.