Strongly correlated electron systems are one of the central topics in contemporary solid-state physics. Prominent examples for such systems are Kondo lattices, i.e., intermetallic materials in which below a critical temperature, the Kondo temperature T K , the magnetic moments become quenched and the effective masses of the conduction electrons approach the mass of a proton. In Ce-and Yb-based systems, this so-called heavy-fermion behavior is caused by interactions between the strongly localized 4f and itinerant electrons. A major and very controversially discussed issue in this context is how the localized electronic degree of freedom gets involved in the Fermi surface (FS) upon increasing the interaction between both kinds of electrons or upon changing the temperature. In this paper, we show that the FS of a prototypic Kondo lattice, YbRh 2 Si 2 , does not change its size or shape in a wide temperature range extending from well below to far above the single-ion Kondo temperature T K ∼ 25 K of this system. This experimental observation, obtained by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, is in remarkable contrast to the widely believed evolution from a large FS, including the 4f degrees of freedom, to a small FS, without the 4f's, upon increasing temperature. Our results explicitly demonstrate a need to further advance in theoretical approaches based on the periodic Anderson model in order to elucidate the temperature dependence of Fermi surfaces in Kondo lattices.

The hybridization between localized 4f electrons and itinerant electrons in rare-earth-based materials gives rise to their exotic properties like valence fluctuations, Kondo behaviour, heavy-fermions, or unconventional superconductivity. Here we present an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the Kondo lattice antiferromagnet CeRh2Si2, where the surface and bulk Ce-4f spectral responses were clearly resolved. The pronounced 4f 0 peak seen for the Ce terminated surface gets strongly suppressed in the bulk Ce-4f spectra taken from a Si-terminated crystal due to much larger f-d hybridization. Most interestingly, the bulk Ce-4f spectra reveal a fine structure near the Fermi edge reflecting the crystal electric field splitting of the bulk magnetic 4f 15/2 state. This structure presents a clear dispersion upon crossing valence states, providing direct evidence of f-d hybridization. Our findings give precise insight into f-d hybridization penomena and highlight their importance in the antiferromagnetic phases of Kondo lattices.