The Heusler-type compound of Ru 2 NbGa has been successfully synthesized. X-ray analysis confirms that Ru 2 NbGa crystallizes in a cubic L2 1 structure. The electronic properties of Ru 2 NbGa have been characterized by means of the transport and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity exhibits a typical semimetallic behavior. The NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate shows activated behavior at higher temperatures, attributing to the thermally excited carriers across a pseudogap. We have also deduced a low Fermi-level density of states (DOS), being consistent with the semimetallic characteristic for Ru 2 NbGa. In addition, we have performed first-principles total-energy calculations including G 0 W 0 and GW 0 corrections for band gaps to investigate the electronic band structure of Ru 2 NbGa. The calculated result reveals an indirect overlap between electron and hole pockets that leads to a residual DOS at the Fermi level, providing a consistent explanation for the experimental observations.

We report a study of the temperature-dependent electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, specific heat, and 27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in Heusler-type Ru 2 TaAl, to shed light on its semimetallic behavior. While the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity exhibits semiconductorlike behavior, the analysis of low-temperature specific heat reveals a residual Fermi-level density of states (DOS). Both observations can be realized by means of a semimetallic scenario with the Fermi energy located in the pseudogap of the electronic DOS. The NMR Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation rate show activated behavior at higher temperatures, attributing to the thermally excited carriers across a pseudogap in Ru 2 TaAl. From the first-principles band structure calculations, we further provide a clear picture that an indirect overlap between electron and hole pockets is responsible for the formation of a pseudogap in the vicinity of the Fermi level of Ru 2 TaAl. In addition, an effort for improving the thermoelectric performance of Ru 2 TaAl has been made by investigating the thermoelectric properties of Ru 1.95 Ta 1.05 Al. We found significant enhancements in the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient and marked reduction in the thermal conductivity via the off-stoichiometric approach. This leads to an increase in the figure-of-merit ZT value from 6.1 × 10 −4 in Ru 2 TaAl to 3.4 × 10 −3 in Ru 1.95 Ta 1.05 Al at room temperature. In this respect, a further improvement of thermoelectric performance based on Ru 2 TaAl through other off-stoichiometric attempts is highly probable.