Electronic structure of Ni2-xPdxTiSn alloys

We report on magnetic and electronic structure investigations of the Ni2-xP dxTiSn Heusler-type alloys. The ab initio electronic structure calculations using the linearized muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method are in good agreemen t with the measured X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) valence band spe ctra. While Pd2TiSn and Ni2TiSn are paramagnetic with a strongly enhanced l ow-temperature susceptibility, the Ni2-xPdxTiSn alloys with x similar to 0. 5 exhibit a feature at 50 K that could be related to a magnetic transition. The susceptibility at higher temperatures suggests the presence of spin fl uctuations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.