Magnetic force microscopy of magnetic domains in UMn$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$

UMn$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$, a distant cousin to the heavy-fermion compound URu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$, is a ternary intermetallic compound with a tetragonal crystal structure of type ThCr$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ and with space group I4/mmm. Local U and Mn moments in UMn$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$ order on their respective sublattices at temperatures near 100 and 380 K, respectively. Previous high-pressure x-ray diffraction and Kerr rotation angle measurements point to structural and magnetic phase transitions that reflect the competition between U and Mn spins at low temperatures. As U moments order with a reduction in temperature, they are predicted to align the Mn moments along the c-axis, altering the anisotropy of the material and the easy axis direction. A reduction of inter-atomic distances between the U and Mn atoms is also projected to induce hybridization between uranium 5f and manganese 3d states, leading to a delocalization of magnetic moments and reduction in magnetization. We use a variable temperature atomic force microscope in magnetic force microscopy (MFM) mode to obtain some initial images of magnetic domains in UMn$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$. Room temperature MFM images display branching magnetic domains with uniaxial anisotropy.