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Detecting the QCD Axion via the Ferroaxionic Force with Piezoelectric Materials

Asimina Arvanitaki1,*, Jonathan Engel2,†, Andrew A. Geraci3,‡, Alexander Hepburn2,§, Amalia Madden4,1,∥, and Ken Van Tilburg5,6,¶

  • *Contact author: aarvanitaki@perimeterinstitute.ca
  • †Contact author: engelj@physics.unc.edu
  • ‡Contact author: andrew.geraci@northwestern.edu
  • §Contact author: ahepburn@unc.edu
  • ∥Contact author: amadden@kitp.ucsb.edu
  • Contact author: kenvt@nyu.edu kvantilburg@flatironinstitute.org
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 081803 – Published 26 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6xw1-1715

Abstract

We show that piezoelectric materials can be used to source virtual QCD axions, generating a new axion-mediated force. Spontaneous parity violation within the piezoelectric crystal combined with time-reversal violation from aligned spins provide the necessary symmetry breaking to produce an effective in-medium scalar coupling of the axion to nucleons up to seven orders of magnitude larger than that in vacuum. We propose a detection scheme based on nuclear spin precession caused by the axion’s pseudoscalar coupling to nuclear spins. This signal is resonantly enhanced when the distance between the source crystal and the spin sample is modulated at the spin precession frequency. Using this effect, future experimental setups can be sensitive to the QCD axion in the unexplored mass range from 10−5  eV to 10−2  eV.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 081803– Published 26 February, 2026
  • Received 17 March 2025
  • Accepted 15 January 2026
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