Interpreting Cosmic Birefringence and DESI Data with Evolving Axion in $\Lambda$CDM

Abstract

Recent cosmological observations have revealed growing tensions with the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, including indications of isotropic cosmic birefringence and deviations from $w = -1$ in the dark energy equation of state, as suggested by DESI and supernova measurements. In this paper, we point out that such deviations can arise even from a subdominant energy density component. We then propose a unified framework based on a dynamical axion field that simultaneously accounts for both anomalies, providing a simple and natural extension of the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. In our scenario, the axion field with $2H_0\lesssim m\lesssim 6H_0$, where $H_0$ is the current Hubble constant, induces a nonzero rotation of the CMB polarization plane and modifies the present-day dark energy equation of state. This framework accommodates recent observational data with natural parameter choices, even for a string axion with a decay constant of order $10^{17}\,$GeV.