  We present first-time measurements of the Fermi surface and low-energy
electronic structure of intermetallic compounds Gd2PdSi3 and Tb2PdSi3 by means
of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). Both materials possess a
flower-like Fermi surface consisting of an electron barrel at the G point
surrounded by spindle-shaped electron pockets originating from the same band.
The band bottom of both features lies at 0.5 eV below the Fermi level. From the
experimentally measured band structure, we estimate the momentum-dependent RKKY
coupling strength and demonstrate that it is peaked at the 1/2 GK wave vector.
Comparison with neutron diffraction data from the same crystals shows perfect
agreement of this vector with the propagation vector of the low-temperature
in-plane magnetic order, thereby demonstrating the decisive role of the Fermi
surface geometry in explaining the complex magnetically ordered ground state of
ternary rare earth silicides.
