  We address the fundamental question of crossover from localized to itinerant
state of a paradigmatic heavy fermionmaterial CeIrIn5. The temperature
evolution of the one electron spectra and the optical conductivity is predicted
from first principles calculation. The buildup of coherence in the form of a
dispersive many body feature is followed in detail and its effects on the
conduction electrons and optical conductivity of the material is revealed. We
find multiple hybridization gaps and link them to the crystal structure of the
material. Our theoretical approach explains the multiple peak structures
observed in optical experiments and the sensitivity of CeIrIn5 to substitutions
of the transition metal element and may provide a microscopic basis for the
more phenomenological descriptions currently used to interpret experiments in
heavy fermion systems.
