Аксионная электродинамика

Axion is a hypothetical particle first postulated in quantum chromodynamics to solve the CP parity problem. At the moment, axion is also a promising candidate for the role of a dark matter particle, and researchers around the world propose numerous detection schemes for the cosmic axion. Despite the fact that cosmic axions have not been discovered to date, there is a wide class of materials in which the propagation of light is described by the equations of axion electrodynamics, and collective excitations have the properties of axions.

Our group at ITMO is engaged in research in the field of axions and axion electrodynamics and collaborates with one of the authors of the axion hypothesis, Nobel laureate Professor Frank Wilczek. We develop metamaterials with an effective axion response [arXiv:2302.05111v1], study the effects of axion electrodynamics in such structures, and also take part in an international collaboration to develop a plasma haloscope for detecting cosmic axions.