Localized axion photon states in a strong magnetic field

We consider the axion field and electromagnetic waves with rapid time dependence, coupled to a strong time independent, asymptotically approaching a constant at infinity “mean” magnetic field, which takes into account the back reaction from the axion field and electromagnetic waves with rapid time dependence in a time averaged way. The direction of the self consistent mean field is orthogonal to the common direction of propagation of the axion and electromagnetic waves with rapid time dependence and parallel to the polarization of these electromagnetic waves. Then, there is an effective U(1) symmetry mixing axions and photons. Using the natural complex variables that this U(1) symmetry suggests we find localized planar soliton solutions. These solutions appear to be stable since they produce a different magnetic flux than the state with only a constant magnetic field, which we take as our “ground state”. The solitons also have non-trivial U(1) charge defined before, different from the uncharged vacuum. These solitons represent a new, non-gravitational mechanism, of trapping light. They could also affect the vacuum structure in models of the QCD vacuum that incorporate a magnetic condensate, introducing may be gluon axion solitons.