Angle-resolved photoemission analysis of electronic structures for thermoelectric properties of off-stoichiometric FeVAl alloys

曽田 一雄*; 原田 翔太*; 林 利光*; 加藤 政彦*; 石川 文洋*; 山田 裕*; 藤森 伸一; 斎藤 祐児

Materials Transactions, 57(7), p.1040 - 1044, 2016/06

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MF201603

The electronic states of Heusler(L21)-type off-stoichiometric FeVAl have been investigated by soft X-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) in order to clarify the origin of their large thermoelectric powers, which cannot be explained in terms of the rigid band model. In off-normal and normal ARPES, FeVAl shows a weakly dispersive bulk band around the binding energy of 0.3 eV in the -X direction and an almost dispersion-less one around 0.3 eV in a gap of dispersive bulk bands in the -L direction, which is attributed to the anti-site Fe defect. At the point, the bulk band does not appear to cross the Fermi level , consistent with the rigid band model for the excess Fe content bringing about the increase in the valence electrons, but no band crossing down is found at the X point. The anti-site Fe defect states near might push up the band at the X point and cause the p-type thermoelectric properties, unexpected with the rigid band picture. The change in the electronic structures and thermoelectric properties are discussed on the off-stoichiometry and substitution of the forth element.