Incommensurate charge order phase in Fe2OBO3 due to geometrical frustration

The temperature dependence of charge order in Fe2OBO3 was investigated by resistivity and differential scanning calorimetry measurements, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and synchrotron x-ray scattering, revealing an intermediate phase between room temperature and 340 K, characterized by coexisting mobile and immobile carriers, and by incommensurate superstructure modulations with temperature-dependent propagation vector (1/2, 0, tau) . The incommensurate modulations arise from specific antiphase boundaries with low energy cost due to geometrical charge frustration.