Detecting parity violation from axion inflation with third generation detectors

Abstract: A gravitational wave background is expected to emerge from the superposition of numerous gravitational wave sources of both astrophysical and cosmological origin. A number of cosmological models can have a parity violation, resulting in the generation of circularly polarised gravitational waves. We investigate the constraining power of third generation Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer detectors, for a gravitational wave background generated by early universe axion inflation.