Improved constraints on the coupling constants of axion-like particles to nucleons from recent Casimir-less experiment

Abstract

We obtain improved constraints on the coupling constants of axion-like particles to nucleons from a recently performed Casimir-less experiment. For this purpose, the differential force between a Au-coated sphere and either Au or Si sectors of a rotating disc, arising due to two-axion exchange, is calculated. Over a wide region of axion masses from 1.7 meV to 0.9 eV the obtained constraints are stronger up to a factor of 60 than the previously known ones following from the Cavendish-type experiment and measurements of the effective Casimir pressure.