  A new class of three-dimensional topological insulator, ternary rare earth
chalcogenides, is theoretically investigated with ab initio calculations. Based
on both bulk band structure analysis and the direct calculation of topological
surface states, we demonstrate that LaBiTe3 is a topological insulator. La can
be substituted by other rare earth elements, which provide candidates for novel
topological states such as quantum anomalous Hall insulator, axionic insulator
and topological Kondo insulator. Moreover, YBiTe3 and YSbTe3 are found to be
normal insulators. They can be used as protecting barrier materials for both
LaBiTe3 and Bi2Te3 families of topological insulators for their well matched
lattice constants and chemical composition.
