Magnetism and physical properties of topological half-Heusler compounds RPdBi*

The non-magnetic half-Heusler compounds, YPdBi and LuPdBi, have been proposed by band structure calculations to be candidates for three-dimensional topological insulators. We present magnetic susceptibility, neutron scattering and electrical transport measurements on single-crystal samples of a series of rare earth containing half-Heulser compounds RPdBi, showing that RPdBi are semimetals with dominant p-type carriers which exhibit antiferromagnetism associated with the rare earth local moments.