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Topological Electronic Structure In Half-Heusler Topological Insulators, W. Al-Sawai, Hsin Lin, R. Markiewicz, L. Wray, Y. Xia, S. Xu, M. Hasan, A. Bansil

Arun Bansil

We have investigated band structures of a series of 28 ternary half-Heusler compounds MM'X of MgAgAs type, where M=(Lu, La, Sc, Y) and M'X=(PtBi, AuPb, PdBi, PtSb, AuSn, NiBi, PdSb). Our results show that the Z₂ topological order is due to a single band inversion at the Γ point. In native states, these half-Heusler compounds are identified as being topologically nontrivial semimetals, or nontrivial metals, or trivial insulators, which can be turned into insulating thin films on suitable substrates. Our analysis reveals a straightforward relationship which connects the band inversion strength (extent of deviation from the critical point) to the …