Superconductivity and magnetic order in the noncentrosymmetric half-Heusler compound ErPdBi

We report superconductivity at T-c = 1.22K and magnetic order at T-N = 1.06K in the semimetallic noncentrosymmetric half-Heusler compound ErPdBi. The upper critical field, B-c2, has an unusual quasi-linear temperature variation and reaches a value of 1.6T for T -> 0. Magnetic order is found below T-c and is suppressed at B-M similar to 2.5T for T -> 0. Since T-c similar or equal to T-N, the interaction of superconductivity and magnetism is expected to give rise to a complex ground state. Moreover, electronic-structure calculations show that ErPdBi has a topologically nontrivial band inversion and thus may serve as a new platform to study the interplay of topological states, superconductivity and magnetic order. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2013