Topological $R$PdBi half-Heusler semimetals: a new family of non-centrosymmetric magnetic superconductors

Abstract

We report superconductivity and magnetism in a new family of topological semimetals, the ternary half Heusler compounds $R$PdBi ($R$ : rare earth). In this series, tuning of the rare earth $f$-electron component allows for simultaneous control of both lattice density via lanthanide contraction, as well as the strength of magnetic interaction via de Gennes scaling, allowing for a unique tuning of both the normal state band inversion strength, superconducting pairing and magnetically ordered ground states. Antiferromagnetism with ordering vector (0.5,0.5,0.5) occurs below a Neéel temperature that scales with de Gennes factor $dG$, while a superconducting transition is simultaneously linearly suppressed. With superconductivity appearing in a system with non-centrosymmetric crystallographic symmetry, the possibility of spin-triplet Cooper pairing with non-trivial topology analogous to that predicted for the normal state electronic structure provides a unique and rich opportunity to realize both predicted and new exotic excitations in topological materials.

14 pages, 8 figures

References in corpus (11)

• Antiferromagnetic topological insulators
• Anomalous Fermi surface in FeSe seen by Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation measurements
• Fermi surface of the most dilute superconductor
• Weak Antilocalization Effect and Noncentrosymmetric Superconductivity in a Topologically Nontrivial Semimetal LuPdBi
• Enhanced superconducting pairing interaction in indium-doped tin telluride
• Metallic surface electronic state in half-Heusler compounds RPtBi (R = Lu, Dy, Gd)
• Magnetic and transport properties of rare-earth-based half-Heusler phases RPdBi: prospective systems for topological quantum phenomena
• Superconductivity at 5.4 K in $\beta$-Bi${}_2$Pd
• Abrupt enhancement of non-centrosymmetry and appearance of the spin-triplet superconducting state in Li_2(Pd_{1-x}Pt_{x})_3B beyond x=0.8
• Uncommonly High Upper Critical Field in the Superconducting KOs${}_2$O${}_6$ Pyrochlore
• Two-band superconductivity featuring different anisotropies in the ternary iron silicide Lu${}_2$Fe${}_3$Si${}_5$

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Superconductivity in three-dimensional spin-orbit coupled semimetals
• Pairing from dynamically screened Coulomb repulsion in bismuth
• Observation of Dirac surface states in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor BiPd
• Materials Screening for the Discovery of New Half-Heuslers: Machine Learning versus Ab Initio Methods