Exploring the physics of the iridates is expected to shed light onto high-temperature superconductivity as well as provide valuable insights into the interplay of spin- orbit coupling (SOC), Hunds and Coulomb interactions. It was shown that this 5d family of transition metal oxides has strong structural and electronic similarities to the famous 3d family of copper oxides - however, no superconductivity has been reported in quasi-two-dimensional square lattice iridium oxides so far. I will present our recent theoretical advances in understanding charge and magnetic excitations in these strongly correlated compounds, as revealed by Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES) and Resonant Inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). Since SOC mediated magnetic momenta locking to the lattice has been reported in iridates in 2018, tuning local crystal environment emerged as a new route to control structural and physical properties. I will discuss how magnetic and electronic degrees of freedom can be manipulated by applying external pressure and strain, as discovered recently using RIXS and two-magnon Raman scattering.

Host: Ambrose Seo