Band structure and electronic properties of the incommensurate misfit compound (LaS)1.18VS2

The electronic properties of the incommensurate misfit compound (LaS)(1.18)VS2 are investigated by different methods. Linear muffin-tin orbital atomic-sphere approximation bandstructure calculation shows that this material should be a metal with a Fermi level located near a minimum of the density of states. Experimentally, the electrical resistivity is hopping-like while the magnetic susceptibility is metallic-like with a strong enhancement. We suggest that these paradoxical properties can be reconciled by taking into account the effects of incommensurability and electronic correlations. A comparison with commensurate LiVS2 and with Ti or Cr incommensurate misfit derivatives is discussed.