Competing spin-fluctuations in Sr₂RuO₄ and their tuning through epitaxial strain

In this study, we report the magnetic energy landscape of Sr2RuO4 employing the generalized Bloch approach within density functional theory. We identify the two dominant magnetic instabilities, ferromagnetic and spin-density-wave, together with other predominant instabilities. We show that epitaxial strain can change the overall magnetic tendency of the system, and tune the relative weight of the various magnetic instabilities in the system. Especially, the balance between spin-density wave and ferromagnetic instabilities can be controlled by the strain, and, eventually can lead to the new magnetic phases as well as superconducting phases with possibly altered pairing channels. Our findings are compared with previous theoretical models and experimental reports for the various magnetic features of the system and offer a first-principles explanation to them.