De Haas-van Alphen effect in YAl₂

Abstract

The Fermi surface of the cubic Laves compound YAl2 is studied by means of the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect. The results are compared with Fermi surface studies of LaAl2, which is isoelectronic with YAl2. While high dHvA frequencies (A approximately 0.19 au) are comparable with those observed in LaAl2, lower dHvA frequencies (0.021<or approximately=A<or approximately=0.0012 au) differ from those in LaAl2. Following the APW energy band calculations by Switendick (1973) the author ascribes this difference to f band admixture in LaAl2.