Ultrasonic attenuation anomalies at the two transitions in antiferromagnetic FeGe2

The attenuation of longitudinal and shear sound waves is measured through the Néel temperature, T_N≈286 K, and the lower transition temperature, T_K≈265 K, of FeGe₂. Longitudinal sound with wavevector q along the 100] axis of this tetragonal antiferromagnetic metal shows an attenuation peak at T_N, which is reversibly suppressed by compressive uniaxial stress σ along 010]. The estimated pressure dependence of T_N is dT_N/dp=(?2.8±0.3) mK bar^?1. The peak at T_N shows thermal and stress hysteresis, which suggests that it is associated with domain wall motion and that this transition is first order.