Low-temperature electronic properties and band structures of LaTE2Si2 (TE=Fe, Co, Ag and Au)

Motivated by recent discovery of a non-Fermi liquid behavior and unconventional superconductivity in YFe2Ge2 we performed physical properties studies and fully relativistic band structure calculations for a few La-based silicides, namely LaFe2Si2, LaCo2Si2, LaAg2Si2 and LaAu2Si2. Electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements revealed decreasing influence of d-electrons of the transition elements on the conduction electron scattering and the Sommerfeld coefficient with increasing the atomic number. Band structure calculations fully corroborated the experimental findings. No superconductivity was found in the investigated compounds down to 0.35 K.