Electronic structures of Al-based transition metal compounds and effective valence of transition elements

Abstract

Abstract Electronic structures of Al-TM (transition metal) compounds with rather simple B2, L12 and A15 structures are studied. Focusing on the energy bands, which are not hybridized strongly with the TM-d bands, we estimate the number of electrons occupying the states below the gap induced by periodic potentials and hence obtain the average number of valence electrons per atom e/a. Although the values of e/a obtained for the different structures are scattered in spite of combination of the same chemical species, these values are obtained if one assumes similar negative values for effective valence of TM. Roles of the interference effect opening the gap in the nearly-free-electron bands are discussed.