Spatially Resolved Strain Mapping In Flexible Oxide Membranes.

Authors

Pol Salles, Marti Ramis, Eric Brand, Peter Kúš, Julie Ruellou, Andrea Sartori, José Manuel Caicedo Roque, Dae-Sung Park, Nini Pryds, Mariona Coll, Jakub Drnec

Published in

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany). Pages e74801. Jul 23, 2026. Epub Jul 23, 2026.

Abstract

Strain engineering in single-crystalline oxide membranes offers a versatile platform to tailor functional properties beyond thin films or bulk materials. However, accurately determining strain transfer and distribution within these membranes remains challenging, limiting direct correlations between structural distortion and functional response and hindering the rational design of flexible devices. Here, high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction is used for in situ monitoring of strain in (001)-oriented ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.3}{\mathrm{MnO}}_3$ membranes on flexible polymer substrates under stretching and bending. This approach enables quantitative determination of in-plane strain as both macroscopic averages and spatially resolved maps. Macroscopic analysis shows that strain transfer is most efficient in thinner films and leads to distinct strain symmetries under stretching and bending. Spatially resolved measurements reveal local strain heterogeneity that increases with applied stress beyond macroscopic averages. Correlating strain distribution with estimated Curie temperature shifts illustrates how such heterogeneity could translate into spatially non-uniform functional behavior. Additionally, the setup's sensitivity to crystallographic orientation enables analysis of stacked and twisted architectures, where interlayer strain transfer is effective yet attenuated with distance from the substrate. Altogether, this framework establishes a robust approach for probing oxide membranes, opening pathways toward strain-engineered flexible devices, multilayer heterostructures, and operando investigations.

PMID:
42489024
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Jul 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.