Eur. Phys. J. C (2025) 85: 1423
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-15150-5

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Quantum dark energy from neutrino loops: model, stability and oscillation imprints

¹ Institute of Theoretical Physics, Ilia State University, 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
² Andronikashvili Institute of Physics, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia

^a This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 7 September 2025
Accepted: 2 December 2025
Published online: 14 December 2025

Abstract

We propose a simple, renormalizable scenario in which all of dark energy arises from a one-loop Coleman–Weinberg potential induced by a scalar field Yukawa-coupled exclusively to Standard-Model neutrinos. Classically, $V_{min}=0$, but neutrino loops lift the vacuum by ${\rho }_{\text{DE}}=\frac{y^2{m}_{\nu }^6}{512{\pi }^4{m}_{\varphi }^2}$, matching the observed dark energy scale for $y\approx 0.28m_{\varphi }/$eV and $m_{\nu }\sim 0.1$eV. We detail cosmological tracking, demonstrate stability against neutrino clumping, and show that rapid scalar oscillations leave no detectable imprint on current neutrino-oscillation experiments—though they provide a clear target for future high-precision probes. Compared to other mass varying neutrino models, our framework employs only a renormalizable quadratic potential, avoids unnatural hierarchies, and makes concrete, testable predictions.