Axion detection via Topological Casimir Effect

Abstract

We propose a new table-top experimental configuration for the direct detection of dark matter axions with mass in the $(10^{-6}\mathrm{eV}-10^{-2}\mathrm{eV})$ range using non-perturbative effects in a system with non-trivial spatial topology. Different from most experimental setups found in literature on direct dark matter axion detection, which relies on $\dot{\theta }$ or $\vec{\nabla }\theta$, we found that our system is in principle sensitive to a static $\theta \ge 10^{-14}$ and can also be used to set limit on the fundamental constant ${\theta }_{\mathrm{QED}}$ which becomes the fundamental observable parameter of the Maxwell system if some conditions are met. Connection with Witten effect when the induced electric charge $e^{\prime }$ is proportional to $\theta$ and the magnetic monopole becomes the dyon with non-vanishing $e^{\prime }=-e\frac{\theta }{2\pi }$ is also discussed.

Comments: Updated to published version