Published July 29, 2017
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Higher symmetry and gapped phases of gauge theories
Creators
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1.
California Institute of Technology
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2.
University of California, Berkeley
Contributors
Abstract
We study topological field theory describing gapped phases of gauge theories where the gauge symmetry is partially Higgsed and partially confined. The TQFT can be formulated both in the continuum and on the lattice and generalizes Dijkgraaf–Witten theory by replacing a finite group by a finite 2-group. The basic field in this TQFT is a 2-connection on a principal 2-bundle. We classify topological actions for such theories as well as loop and surface observables. When the topological action is trivial, the TQFT is related to a Dijkgraaf–Witten theory by electric-magnetic duality, but in general it is distinct.We propose the existence of new phases of matter protected by higher symmetry.
Additional Information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG. First Online: 29 July 2017. A.K. would like to thank Dan Freed, Sergei Gukov, Michael Hopkins, Nathan Seiberg, Yuji Tachikawa, and Constantin Teleman for discussions. R.T. would like to thank Scott Carnahan, Curt von Keyserlingk, Evan Jenkins, Alex Rasmussen, David Roberts, and Urs Schreiber for discussions. This work was supported in part by the DOE grant DE-FG02-92ER40701 and by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHYS-1066293 and the hospitality of the Aspen Center for Physics.Attached Files
Submitted - 1309.4721.pdf
Files
1309.4721.pdf
Additional details
Identifiers
- Eprint ID
- 66633
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20160504-081444693
Related works
- Describes
- http://arxiv.org/abs/1309.4721 (URL)
Funding
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- DE-FG02-92ER40701
- NSF
- PHYS-1066293
Dates
- Created
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2016-05-04Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-11Created from EPrint's last_modified field
Caltech Custom Metadata
- Caltech groups
- Mathematics Department
- Series Name
- Progress in Mathematics
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 324