Alleviating the Hubble Tension with Smooth Sign-Switching Dark Energy: Full CMB Constraints with DESI and PantheonPlus

Abstract

Sign-switching dark energy has recently been proposed as a minimal modification of the late-time expansion history aimed at alleviating tensions within the standard cosmological model. In this work, we investigate ECDM, a smooth realisation of this scenario, with the dark energy density gradually transitioning from a negative to a positive value. We develop a consistent formulation of the perturbation equations that remains well behaved even when the dark energy equation-of-state parameter diverges during the transition. We confront the model with a comprehensive set of cosmological observations, including cosmic microwave background measurements from Planck 2018, ACT DR6 and SPT-3G, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from DESI DR2, Type Ia supernova distances from Pantheon+, and local Hubble constant measurement of SH0ES. The inclusion of perturbations allows us to assess the impact of the model on structure growth and CMB anisotropies, providing a more thorough test of sign-switching dark energy. Our results show that this class of models is fully compatible with current precision cosmological observations while alleviating the Hubble tension and providing a compelling modification of the late-time dynamics of the Universe.