Mahler measure, links and homology growth

Let l be an oriented link of d components with nonzero Alexander polynomial Δ(u1,…,ud). Let Λ be a finite-index subgroup of H1(S3−l)≅Zd, and let MΛ be the corresponding abelian cover of S3 branched along l. The growth rate of the order of the torsion subgroup of H1(MΛ), as a suitable measure of Λ approaches infinity, is equal to the Mahler measure of Δ.