Physicists Have Finally Seen Traces of a Long-Sought Particle. Here's Why That's a Big Deal.

[Igel]

7. It's more like

saying that a non-semiconductor proxy showed the same kind of behavior that the mathematics predicting the existence of semiconductors says should be true for semiconductors.

It's a model that shares characteristics attributed quantum systems in which the axion should make a showing. If the model holds true, then it's a valid prediction. On the other hand, so far it just shows that a model shows some of the same effects the math predicts for axions. Sort of proof of principle.

Even that's an advancement, because it shows that the math stands a good chance of not being pure fiction. But discovery it ain't.