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Abstract:
Ternary semiconducting or metallic half-Heusler compounds with an atomic
composition 1:1:1 are widely studied for their flexible electronic
properties and functionalities. Recently, a new material property of
half-Heusler compounds was predicted based on electronic structure
calculations: the topological insulator. In topological insulators, the
metallic surface states are protected from impurity backscattering due
to spin-momentum locking. This opens up new perspectives in engineering
multifunctional materials. In this article, we introduce half-Heusler
materials from the crystallographic and electronic structure point of
view. We present an effective model Hamiltonian from which the
topological state can be derived, notably from a non-trivial inverted
band structure. We discuss general implications of the inverted band
structure with a focus on the detection of the topological surface
states in experiments by reviewing several exemplary materials. Special
attention is given to superconducting half-Heusler materials, which have
attracted ample attention as a platform for non-centrosymmetric and
topological superconductivity.