Dual origin of effective axion response

Abstract Effective axion fields emerge in condensed matter and photonic systems with broken parity and time-reversal symmetries resulting in nonreciprocal optical phenomena. Here, we predict a distinct type of electromagnetic response which has the same symmetry properties as an axion one, manifests...

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Main Authors: Timur Z. Seidov, Eduardo Barredo-Alamilla, Daniel A. Bobylev, Leon Shaposhnikov, Maxim Mazanov, Maxim A. Gorlach
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61183-5
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author Timur Z. Seidov
Eduardo Barredo-Alamilla
Daniel A. Bobylev
Leon Shaposhnikov
Maxim Mazanov
Maxim A. Gorlach
author_facet Timur Z. Seidov
Eduardo Barredo-Alamilla
Daniel A. Bobylev
Leon Shaposhnikov
Maxim Mazanov
Maxim A. Gorlach
author_sort Timur Z. Seidov
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Effective axion fields emerge in condensed matter and photonic systems with broken parity and time-reversal symmetries resulting in nonreciprocal optical phenomena. Here, we predict a distinct type of electromagnetic response which has the same symmetry properties as an axion one, manifests itself only at the boundaries of the material and features the same coupling to incident plane waves. However, the response to the external sources introduced inside is profoundly different, allowing one to distinguish the predicted dual axion field experimentally. We prove that the behavior of such materials is captured by electrodynamics with magnetic charge, put forward a specific metamaterial realizing this physics and suggest possible experiments to observe it. We anticipate that this response is general and occurs in a variety of photonic and condensed matter structures.
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issn 2041-1723
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-9edaec0a77a04565b273d8f3284856e12025-08-20T03:37:37ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611710.1038/s41467-025-61183-5Dual origin of effective axion responseTimur Z. Seidov0Eduardo Barredo-Alamilla1Daniel A. Bobylev2Leon Shaposhnikov3Maxim Mazanov4Maxim A. Gorlach5School of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversitySchool of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversitySchool of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversitySchool of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversitySchool of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversitySchool of Physics and Engineering, ITMO UniversityAbstract Effective axion fields emerge in condensed matter and photonic systems with broken parity and time-reversal symmetries resulting in nonreciprocal optical phenomena. Here, we predict a distinct type of electromagnetic response which has the same symmetry properties as an axion one, manifests itself only at the boundaries of the material and features the same coupling to incident plane waves. However, the response to the external sources introduced inside is profoundly different, allowing one to distinguish the predicted dual axion field experimentally. We prove that the behavior of such materials is captured by electrodynamics with magnetic charge, put forward a specific metamaterial realizing this physics and suggest possible experiments to observe it. We anticipate that this response is general and occurs in a variety of photonic and condensed matter structures.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61183-5
spellingShingle Timur Z. Seidov
Eduardo Barredo-Alamilla
Daniel A. Bobylev
Leon Shaposhnikov
Maxim Mazanov
Maxim A. Gorlach
Dual origin of effective axion response
Nature Communications
title Dual origin of effective axion response
title_full Dual origin of effective axion response
title_fullStr Dual origin of effective axion response
title_full_unstemmed Dual origin of effective axion response
title_short Dual origin of effective axion response
title_sort dual origin of effective axion response
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61183-5
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AT eduardobarredoalamilla dualoriginofeffectiveaxionresponse
AT danielabobylev dualoriginofeffectiveaxionresponse
AT leonshaposhnikov dualoriginofeffectiveaxionresponse
AT maximmazanov dualoriginofeffectiveaxionresponse
AT maximagorlach dualoriginofeffectiveaxionresponse