At the absolute zero in temperature all motion in a classical world freezes out. Processes controlled by quantum mechanics, however, may well remain active. A drastic example are quantum critical points: Strong quantum fluctuations emerging from such a point at absolute zero may lead to highly unusual physical properties even at finite temperatures, and sometimes to the stabilization of new phases. I will review some aspects of the heavy fermion compounds, materials that have played a key role in defining the field of quantum criticality. Both the “standard” situation of quantum criticality at the boarder of an antiferromagnetic phase and the new discovery of quantum criticality involving multiple degrees of freedom will be discussed.

PhD/ Postdoc coffee @ 11:30 @ Gorterzaal