Novel method to study strain effect of thin films using a piezoelectric-based device and a flexible metallic substrate

To apply tensile or compressive uniaxial strain to functional thin films, we propose a novel approach in combining a piezoelectric-based device and a technical metallic substrate used widely in second generation coated conductors (i.e. superconducting tapes). A strain-induced shift of the superconducting transition temperature of 0.1 K for Co-doped BaFe2As2 was observed along the [100] direction, corresponding to a uniaxial pressure derivative dT c/dp 100 = −4 K/GPa. For Mn3CuN, a uniaxial strain derivative along the [100] direction of the Curie temperature dT C/d 100 = 13 K/% was observed. The current approach is applicable to various functional thin films in a wide range of temperatures.