Colloquia

In the absence of a detailed first principles based understanding of condensed matter phenomena a scaling approach is many times a good starting point. Although it is also true that scaling in physical properties and laws can also be a consequence or flow out of more fundamental theories.  In this talk I will examine two rather different physical systems, one metallic and the other primarily insulating, where scaling ideas have helped us to understand our measurements.  In the heavy fermion (metallic) systems I will review our work on scaling properties observed in their magnetic, ultrasonic and thermal response.  In a quantum spin liquid system (insulating) I will describe recent work where scaling ideas have led to advances in understanding of a candidate Dirac Quantum Spin liquid.