Experimental evidence of the formation of d-like states near the Fermi energy in complex metallic alloys

The structure of the valence bands in a number of complex alloys was investigated using X-ray emission spectroscopy, focusing on the distribution of d-like states in a series of Al- and Mg-based alloys. A substantial density of d-like states was found at or just under the Fermi level in the Al s,d and Mg s,d distributions of these complex systems. It is suggested that d-like states play a significant role in local symmetry of the crystals and contribute to selecting and stabilizing their structures.