- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review Research

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access

Magnetic-field-tunable anisotropic blackbody radiation and condensation of slow thermal light in dynamical axion insulators

E. Kochems1, G. Quintero Angulo1,2, R. Egger1, C. Müller1, and S. Villalba-Chávez1,*

  • *Contact author: villalba@uni-duesseldorf.de
PDF

Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033297 – Published 29 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sh8w-rk4b

Abstract

Thermal radiation features of dynamical axion insulators, which are characterized by an antiferromagnetic order with simultaneously broken time-reversal and space-inversion symmetries, are investigated. Planck's radiation law is shown to exhibit remarkable anisotropic behavior as a result of the strong dispersion caused by the light-matter interaction. A crossover scenario at low temperature is identified and an associated phase highly populated by slow thermal photons is revealed. We show that the asymmetry degree of the heat radiation and its angular distribution can be controlled via a magnetic field, paving the way toward a directional-tunable mechanism for thermal quantum manipulation and storage. Analogies are drawn with the expected behavior of blackbody radiation in the core of neutron stars.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (73)

  1. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, CP conservation in the presence of pseudoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1440 (1977).
  2. F. Wilczek, Problem of strong P and T invariance in the presence of instantons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 279 (1978).
  3. S. Weinberg, A new light boson? Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 223 (1978).
  4. M. Dine, W. Fischler, and M. Srednicki, A simple solution to the strong CP problem with a harmless axion, Phys. Lett. B 104, 199 (1981).
  5. A. R. Zhitnitskii, On possible suppression of the axion hadron interactions, Yad. Fiz 31, 497 (1980) [Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 31, 260 (1980)].
  6. J. E. Kim, Weak-interaction singlet and strong CP invariance, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 103 (1979).
  7. M. A. Shifman, A. I. Vainshtein, and V. I. Zakharov, Can confinement ensure natural CP invariance of strong interactions? Nucl. Phys. B 166, 493 (1980).
  8. K. A. Meissner and H. Nicolai, Effective action, conformal anomaly and the issue of quadratic divergences, Phys. Lett. B 660, 260 (2008).
  9. E. Witten, Some properties of O(32) superstrings, Phys. Lett. B 149, 351 (1984).
  10. P. Svrcek and E. Witten, Axions in string theory, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2006) 051.
  11. O. Lebedev and S. Ramos-Sánchez, The NMSSM and string theory, Phys. Lett. B 684, 48 (2010).
  12. M. Cicoli, M. Goodsell, and A. Ringwald, The type IIB string axiverse and its low-energy phenomenology, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2012) 146.
  13. L. Covi, J. E. Kim, and L. Roszkowski, Axinos as cold dark matter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4180 (1999)
  14. G. G. Raffelt, Axions: Motivation, limits and searches, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 40, 6607 (2007).
  15. L. D. Duffy and K. van Bibber, Axions as dark matter particles, New J. Phys. 11, 105008 (2009).
  16. P. Sikivie, Dark matter axions, Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 25, 554 (2010).
  17. H. Baer, A.D. Box, and H. Summy, Neutralino versus axion/axino cold dark matter in the 19 parameter SUGRA model, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2010) 023.
  18. T. W. Donnelly, S. J. Freedman, R. S. Lytel, R. D. Peccei, and M. Schwartz, Do axions exist? Phys. Rev. D 18, 1607 (1978).
  19. A. Zehnder, S. J. Freedman, R. S. Lytel, R. D. Peccei, and M. Schwartz, Axion search in a monochromatic transition: A new lower limit for the axion mass, Phys. Lett. B 104, 494 (1981).
  20. I. G. Irastorza and J. Redondo, New experimental approaches in the search for axion-like particles, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 102, 89 (2018).
  21. L. Di Luzio, M. Giannotti, E. Nardi, and L. Vasinelli, The landscape of QCD axion models, Phys. Rep. 870, 1 (2020).
  22. F. Wilczek, Two applications of axion electrodynamics, Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1799 (1987).
  23. R. Li, J. Wang, X. Qi, and S.-C. Zhang, Dynamical axion field in topological magnetic insulator, Nat. Phys. 6, 284 (2010).
  24. Y. Gong et al., Experimental realization of an intrinsic magnetic topological insulator, Chin. Phys. Lett. 36, 076801 (2019).
  25. M. M. Otrokov et al., Prediction and observation of an antiferromagnetic topological insulator, Nature (London) 576, 416 (2019).
  26. I. I. Klimovskikh et al., Tunable 3D/2D magnetism in the (MnBi2Te3)(Bi2Te3)m topological insulators family, npj Quantum Mater. 5, 54 (2020).
  27. C. Liu, Y. Wang, H. Li, Y. Wu, Y. Li, J. Li, K. He, Y. Xu, J. Zhang, and Y. Wang, Robust axion insulator and Chern insulator phases in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological insulator, Nat. Mater. 19, 522 (2020).
  28. J.-X. Qiu, B. Ghosh, J. Schütte-Engel, et al., Observation of the axion quasiparticle in 2D MnBi2Te4, Nature (London) 641, 62 (2025).
  29. H. Ooguri, and M. Oshikawa, Instability in magnetic materials with a dynamical axion field, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 161803 (2012).
  30. T. Imaeda, Y. Kawaguchi, Y. Tanaka, and M. Sato, Axion instability and nonlinear electromagnetic effect, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 88, 024402 (2019).
  31. A. Sekine and K. Nomura, Chiral magnetic effect and anomalous Hall effect in antiferromagnetic insulators with spin-orbit coupling, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 096401 (2016).
  32. K. Taguchi, T. Imaeda, T. Hajiri, T. Shiraishi, and Y. Tanaka, Electromagnetic effects induced by a time-dependent axion field, Phys. Rev. B 97, 214409 (2018).
  33. A. Sekine and K. Nomura, Axion electrodynamics in topological materials, J. Appl. Phys. 129, 141101 (2021).
  34. D. J. E. Marsh, K. C. Fong, E. W. Lentz, L. Šmejkal, and M. N. Ali, Proposal to detect dark matter using axionic topological antiferromagnets, Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 121601 (2019).
  35. J. Schütte-Engel, D. J. E. Marsh, A. J. Millar, A. Sekine, F. Chadha-Day, S. Hoof, M. N. Ali, K. C. Fong, E. Hardy, and L. Šmejkal, Axion quasiparticles for axion dark matter detection, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 2021, 066 (2021).
  36. I. E. Frolov, V. C. Zhukovsky, and K. G. Klimenko, Chiral density waves in quark matter within the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model in an external magnetic field, Phys. Rev. D 82, 076002 (2010).
  37. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Dissipationless Hall current in dense quark matter in a magnetic field, Phys. Lett. B 769, 208 (2018).
  38. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Anomalous electromagnetic transport in compact stars, Universe 4, 54 (2017).
  39. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Novel topological effects in dense QCD in a magnetic field, Nucl. Phys. B 931, 192 (2018).
  40. B. Feng, E. J. Ferrer, and I. Portillo, Lack of Debye and Meissner screening in strongly magnetized quark matter at intermediate densities, Phys. Rev. D 101, 056012 (2020).
  41. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Magnetic dual chiral density qave: A candidate quark matter phase for the interior of neutron stars, Universe 7, 458 (2021).
  42. W. Gyory and V. de la Incera, Phase transitions and resilience of the magnetic dual chiral density wave phase at finite temperature and density, Phys. Rev. D 106, 016011 (2022).
  43. H. Mortazavi Ghalati and N. Sadooghi, Magnetic dual chiral density wave phase in rotating cold quark matter, Phys. Rev. D 108, 054032 (2023).
  44. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Axion-polariton in the magnetic dual chiral density wave phase of dense QCD, Nucl. Phys. B 994, 116307 (2023).
  45. E. J. Ferrer and V. de la Incera, Axion-polaritons in quark stars: A possible solution to the missing pulsar problem, Eur. Phys. J. C 84, 133 (2024).
  46. Y. Xiao, H. Wang, D. Wang, R. Lu, X. Yan, H. Guo, C. M. Hu, and K. Xia, Nonlinear level attraction of cavity axion polariton in antiferromagnetic topological insulator, Phys. Rev. B 104, 115147 (2021).
  47. Z. L. Xiang, S. Ashhab, J. Q. You, and F. Nori, Hybrid quantum circuits: Superconducting circuits interacting with other quantum systems, Rev. Mod. Phys. 85, 623 (2013).
  48. M. Aspelmeyer, T. J. Kippenberg, and F. Marquardt, Cavity optomechanics, Rev. Mod. Phys. 86, 1391 (2014).
  49. Y. Xiao, H. Wang, D. Wang, X. Yan, and H. Zhang, Short-wavelength axion dark modes of cavity axion polariton, Phys. Rev. B 107, 085109 (2023).
  50. R. J. Rivers, Path Integral Methods in Quantum Field Theory (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1987).
  51. M. Le Bellac, Thermal Field Theory (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996).
  52. S. Villalba-Chávez, T. Podszus and C. Müller, Polarization-operator approach to optical signatures of axion-like particles in strong laser pulses, Phys. Lett. B 769, 233 (2017).
  53. S. Villalba-Chávez, A. E. Shabad, and C. Müller, Magnetic dominance of axion electrodynamics: Photon capture effect and anisotropy of Coulomb potential, Eur. Phys. J. C 81, 331 (2021).
  54. J.-M. Zhang, W. Ming, Z. Huang, G.-B. Liu, X. Kou, Y. Fan, K. L. Wang, and Y. Yao, Stability, electronic, and magnetic properties of the magnetically doped topological insulators Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, and Sb2Te3, Phys. Rev. B 88, 235131 (2013).
  55. J. Wang, B. Lian, and S.-C. Zhang, Dynamical axion field in a magnetic topological insulator superlattice, Phys. Rev. B 93, 045115 (2016).
  56. K. Ishiwata, Axion mass in antiferromagnetic insulators, Phys. Rev. D 104, 016004 (2021).
  57. K. Ishiwata, Topology-insensitive axion mass in magnetic topological insulators, Phys. Rev. B 106, 195157 (2022).
  58. A. El Kanj, O. Gomonay, I. Boventer, P. Bortolotti, V. Cros, A. Anane, and R. Lebrun, Antiferromagnetic magnon spintronic based on nonreciprocal and nondegenerated ultra-fast spin-waves in the canted antiferromagnet α−Fe2O3, Sci. Adv. 9, eadh1601 (2023).
  59. S. J. Pickart, M. F. Collins, and C.-G. Windsor, Spin-wave dispersion in KMnF3, J. Appl. Phys. 37, 1054 (1966).
  60. R. P. Mercier, Thermal radiation in anisotropic media, Proc. Phys. Soc. 83, 811 (1964).
  61. K. D. Cole, Generalization of Plank's law of radiation to anisotropic dispersive media, Aust. J. Phys. 30, 671 (1977).
  62. A. E. Shabad and V. V. Usov, Gamma-quanta capture by magnetic field and pair creation suppression in pulsars, Nature (London) 295, 215 (1982).
  63. A. E. Shabad and V. V. Usov, Propagation of γ-radiation in strong magnetic fields of pulsars, Astrophys. Space Sci. 102, 327 (1984).
  64. A. E. Shabad, Photon propagation in a supercritical magnetic field, J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 98, 186 (2004).
  65. J. Wei, D. Olaya, B. S. Karasik, S. V. Pereverzev, A. V. Sergeev, and M. E. Gershenson, Ultrasensitive hot-electron nanobolometers for terahertz astrophysics, Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 496 (2008).
  66. B. S. Karasik, S. V. Pereverzev, A. Soibel, D. F. Santavicca, D. E. Prober, D. Olaya, and M. E. Gershenson, Energy-resolved detection of single infrared photons with λ=8µm using a superconducting microbolometer, Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 052601 (2012).
  67. S. Komiyama, O. Astafiev, V. Antonov, T. Kutsuwa, and H. Hirai, A single-photon detector in the far-infrared range, Nature (London) 403, 405 (2000).
  68. J. Klaers, J. Schmitt, F. Vewinger, and M. Weitz, Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in an optical microcavity, Nature (London) 468, 545 (2010).
  69. S. Barland, P. Azam, G. L. Lippi, R. A. Nyman, and R. Kaiser, Photon thermalization and a condensation phase transition in an electrically pumped semiconductor microresonator, Opt. Express 29, 8368 (2021).
  70. J. Marelic and R. A. Nyman, Experimental evidence for inhomogeneous pumping and energy-dependent effects in photon Bose-Einstein condensation, Phys. Rev. A 91, 033813 (2015).
  71. Y. Slyusarenko and A. Sotnikov, Green-function method in the theory of ultraslow electromagnetic waves in an ideal gas with Bose-Einstein condensates, Phys. Rev. A 78, 053622 (2008).
  72. Y. Slyusarenko and A. Sotnikov, Role of temperature effects in the phenomenon of ultraslow electromagnetic pulses in Bose-Einstein condensates of alkali-metal atoms, Phys. Rev. A 80, 053604 (2009).
  73. N. Boichenko and Y. Slyusarenko, Coexistence of photonic and atomic Bose-Einstein condensates in ideal atomic gases, Condens. Matter Phys. 18, 43002 (2015).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033297– Published 29 September, 2025
  • Received 18 July 2024
  • Revised 20 May 2025
  • Accepted 21 July 2025
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation