Optical properties of dynamical axion backgrounds

Abstract

We discuss spectral distortions, time delays and refraction of light in an axion or axion-plasma background. This involves solving the full set of geodesic equations associated to the system of Hamiltonian optics, allowing us to self-consistently take into account the evolution of the momentum, frequency and position of photons. We support our arguments with analytic approximations and full numerical solutions. Remarkably, the introduction of a plasma enhances the sensitivity to axion-induced birefringence, allowing these effects to occur at linear order in the axion-photon coupling even when the axion background is not present at either the emission or detection points. This suggests a general enhancement of axion-induced birefringence when the background refractive index is different from one.