An empirical study of the Mn partial density of states in icosahedral Al70Pd20Mn10

Using the line-shape analysis of the Mn 2p(3/2)3d3d Auger transitions and by observing the Mn 3p --> 3d transitions in electron energy-loss spectroscopy, we have studied the local density of electronic states of the crystalline cubic and the quasicrystalline icosahedral phases of Al70Pd20Mn10. We find that, in the cubic phase the Mn 3d states coincide with the Fermi level EF, but in the quasicrystalline state the Mn 3d band is fully occupied and shifted to lower binding energies causing a significant reduction in the density of states at E-F. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BY. All rights reserved.