Electronic-structure study of Ni3Al, Ni3Ga, Ni3In, and NiGa using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Bremsstrahlung isochromat spectroscopy

The electronic structures of Ni3Al, Ni3Ga, Ni3In, and NiGa were studied by high-resolution X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and Bremsstrahlung i sochromat spectroscopy (BIS). The XPS valence-band and BIS spectra of Ni3Al and Ni3Ga agree well with available density-of-states (DOS) curves derived from band-structure calculations. The asymmetry index of the Ni 2p core le vels decreases in the series Ni3Al, Ni3In, Ni3Ga, and NiGa. This observatio n implies that the density of states at the Fermi level and the number of N i 3d holes per Ni atom both decrease in the series. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.