“…A number of ternary rare-earth alumo-silicides (RE-Al-Si) have recently been synthesized from pure elements by high temperature reactions, carried out in aluminum flux [1]. Under these experimental conditions, large single crystals of three general structure types can be easily grown: (1) REAl x Si 2−x , 0.8 < x < 1.2, non-stoichiometric ternary derivatives of the bodycentered tetragonal ␣-ThSi 2 -type [2], formed by the early rareearths (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and Gd); (2) stoichiometric RE 2 Al 3 Si 2 compounds, formed when RE = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er and Tm, i.e.…”