Single-crystal growth and Fermi surface properties of LaPd₂Si₂. Comparison with pressure-induced heavy-fermion superconductor CePd₂Si₂

We report the single-crystal growth and comparative Fermi surface studies of LaPd₂Si₂ via de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) experiments and theoretical band structure calculations, as a non-magnetic reference for pressure-induced heavy-fermion superconductor CePd₂Si₂. We grew the single crystals of LaPd₂Si₂ using the Czochralski and floating zone method. High-quality single crystals of LaPd₂Si₂ were obtained using the floating zone method, and clear dHvA signals were detected. We detected main Fermi surfaces in angular dependence measurements of the dHvA frequencies, revealing a good agreement with the result of band structure calculations based on the localized-4f electron model. From our dHvA measurements using the high-quality single crystal, as well as our theoretical band structure calculations, we conclude that the 4f electrons in CePd₂Si₂ are itinerant rather than localized in an intermediate antiferromagnetic state. (author)