Cosmic Birefringence from Monodromic Axion Dark Energy

Abstract

The recently reported non-zero isotropic birefringence angle in Planck 2018 polarization data provides a tantalizing hint for new physics of axions. In this paper, we explain this by a string theory motivated axion with a monodromy potential that plays the role of dark energy. Upon using the birefringence measurement and the constraint on the equation of state for dark energy in this scenario, we find an upper bound on the axion decay constant as $f_a\lesssim 10^{16}$ GeV. This naturally gives an energy scale of order GUT and can resolve the theoretical issue of super-Planckian field range of the conventional axion dark energy model. We further study the implications of cosmic birefringence for the underlying theory and its consequences for the string swampland conjectures. We finally discuss oscillatory features in the dark energy sector and the expected cosmic birefringence tomography.

18 pages, 5 figures

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• Improved Constraints on Cosmic Birefringence from the WMAP and Planck Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Data
• Isotropic cosmic birefringence from early dark energy
• Power spectrum of domain-wall network and its implications for isotropic and anisotropic cosmic birefringence
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• Probing Axions via Light Circular Polarization and Event Horizon Telescope
• Impact of Anisotropic Birefringence on Measuring Cosmic Microwave Background Lensing