Optical control of the crystal structure in the bilayer nickelate superconductor LaNiO via nonlinear phononics
This study theoretically proposes that resonant optical excitation of infrared-active lattice vibrations can induce nonlinear phononics to straighten the interlayer Ni-O-Ni bond angle in the bilayer nickelate LaNiO, offering a light-based alternative to pressure for controlling its crystal structure toward superconductivity.