Jacutingate, a recently discovered Brazilian naturally occurring mineral, has been shown to be an experimental realization of the Kane-Mele topological model. In this paper we present a class of materials, $M_{2}N{X}_3$ ($M=\mathrm{Ni}$, Pt, and Pd; $N=\mathrm{Zn}$, Cd, and Hg; and $X=\mathrm{S}$, Se, and Te), sharing jacutingaite's key features, i.e., high stability and a topological phase. By employing first-principles calculations we extensively characterize the energetic stability of this class while showing a common occurrence of the Kane-Mele topological phase. Here we present Pt-based materials surpassing jacutingaite's impressive topological gap and lower exfoliation barrier while retaining its stability.

• Received 10 September 2020
• Accepted 9 December 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.102.235153