  NaV2O4 crystals were grown under high pressure using a NaCl flux, and the
crystals were characterized with X-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity,
heat capacity, and magnetization. The structure of NaV2O4 consists of double
chains of edge-sharing VO6 octahedra. The resistivity is highly anisotropic,
with the resistivity perpendicular to the chains more than 20 times greater
than that parallel to the chains. Magnetically, the intrachain interactions are
ferromagnetic and the interchain interactions are antiferromagnetic; 3D
antiferromagnetic order is established at 140 K. First principles electronic
structure calculations indicate that the chains are half metallic.
Interestingly, the case of NaV2O4 seems to be a quasi-1D analogue of what was
found for half-metallic materials.
