Electronic density of states, stability, and coherency effects between resonant states in quasicrystalline Al73.2Mn21Si5.8

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Abstract
In quasicrystalline AlMnSi alloys, the spin‐glass contribution makes difficult the correct evaluation of the electronic density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level. The present investigation shows that the low temperature specific heat contribution varies as the inverse of the square of the magnetic field, and so enables us to separate the spin‐glass contribution from the electronic one. The d DOS at the Fermi level is reduced to about 70% of the value observed in the AlMn solid solution. This reduction can be understood as resulting from a sp‐d resonant effect which opens a pseudogap at the center of the virtual bound state. This pseudogap, along with the icosahedral symmetry, can explain the origin of the stability of this phase.