Electronic structure, magnetic, and electrical properties of single-crystalline magnetic fluctuator URuAl and comparison with reference systems

Abstract

The electronic structure of the hexagonal paramagnetic ternary intermetallic compound URuAl is computed, employing the full relativistic version of full-potential local-orbital band-structure code, and examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of both valence bands and $4f$ core levels. Satisfying agreement between experimental and theoretical XPS results is achieved indicating high delocalization of the $\text{U}\text{ }5f$ states in this intermetallic compound. The Fermi surface of URuAl has been calculated and discussed as well. The previously reported possibility of an existence of spin (magnetic) fluctuations in URuAl has also been supported by our data based on, e.g., $4f$-core XPS spectra, magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistivity ones. The lack of magnetic ordering in URuAl is discussed in comparison to other similar systems $\text{U}T(\text{Al},\text{Ga})$ and their solid solutions, where $T$ is a transition metal.