The 4f-Hybridization Strength in Ce_mM_nIn_3m+2n Heavy-Fermion Compounds Studied by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

We systemically investigate the nature of Ce 4f electrons in structurally layered heavy-fermion compounds Ce_mM_nIn_3m+2n (with M = Co, Rh, Ir, and Pt, m=1, 2, n=0–2), at low temperature using on-resonance angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Three heavy quasiparticle bands f^0, f^1_7/2 and f^1_5/2, are observed in all compounds, whereas their intensities and energy locations vary greatly with materials. The strong f^0 states imply that the localized electron behavior dominates the Ce 4f states. The Ce 4f electrons are partially hybridized with the conduction electrons, making them have the dual nature of localization and itinerancy. Our quantitative comparison reveals that the f^1_5/2–f^0 intensity ratio is more suitable to reflect the 4f-state hybridization strength.