Quasi-Two-Dimensional Fermi Surface and Heavy Quasiparticles in CeRh2As2

The recent discovery of multiple superconducting phases in CeRh2As2 has attracted considerable interest. These rich phases are thought to be related to the locally noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, although the possible role of a quadrupole density wave preceding the superconductivity remains an open question. While measurements of physical properties imply that the Ce 4f electrons could play an essential role, the momentum-resolved electronic structure remains hitherto unreported, hindering an in-depth understanding of the underlying physics. Here, we report a high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission study of CeRh2As2. Our results reveal fine splittings of conduction bands, which are directly related to the locally noncentrosymmetric structure, as well as a quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surface, implying weak interlayer hopping and possible nesting instabilities. Our experiments also uncover the fine structures and pronounced temperature evolution of the Kondo peak, demonstrating strong Kondo effect facilitated by excited crystal electric field states. Our results unveil the salient electronic features arising from the interplay between the crystal structure and strong electron correlation, providing spectroscopic insight for understanding the heavy fermion physics and unconventional quadrupole density wave in this enigmatic compound.