Uniaxial Strain effect on the electronic structure and magnetic interactions of thin-layer nickelate superconductor

Infinite-layer (IL) nickelates offer promising insights into unconventional superconductivity. While epitaxial strain from substrates modifies electronic and magnetic properties, influencing superconductivity, the decoupling of externally applied from epitaxial strain remains underexplored. We aim to investigate the spectroscopic response of IL PrNiO2/STO using a piezoelectric-based uniaxial strain cell for precise strain application, offering an accurate and tunable approach. Building on evidence that uniaxial strain enhances magnetic exchange interactions, we will employ Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) to investigate how strain alters electronic and magnetic properties and their relationship to the superconducting properties.