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The electronic structure of Heusler-type Fe2VAl has been studied by high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy with the excitation photon energy hν ranging from 21.2 eV (the He I laboratory light source) to 904 eV (the soft X-ray synchrotron light source) for clean surfaces prepared by scraping or fracturing polycrystalline and single crystalline specimens. Photoelectron spectra recorded for the fractured surfaces show a 10 eV-wide valence band with fine structures and a clear decrease in the intensity towards the Fermi level EF, while a high intensity at EF and no fine structures are observed for the scraped surface. Comparison with the theoretical density of states (DOS) indicates that the vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron spectra emphasize the transition-metal 3d bands but the soft X-ray photoelectron spectra agree remarkably well with the DOS including the fine structures and the pseudogap at EF. The present results suggest that the electronic structure of Fe2VAl is highly sensitive to possible strain and defects induced by scraping. Bulk electronic structures of Fe2VAl are discussed in relation to the reported fascinating transport properties.

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