Related papers: Topological Higher Gauge Theory - from BF to BFCG …
Fracton theories possess exponentially degenerate ground states, excitations with restricted mobility, and nontopological higher-form symmetries. This paper shows that such theories can be defined on arbitrary spatial lattices in three…
We examine the model of Two-Dimensional Quadratic Gravity as a consequence of symmetry breaking within the framework of background field (BF) theory. This theory is essentially an extension of BF theory, introducing an additional polynomial…
The spinfoam approach to quantum gravity rests on a "quantization" of BF theory using 2-complexes and group representations. We explain why, in dimension three and higher, this "spinfoam quantization" must be amended to be made consistent…
In this paper, we present a purely algebraic formulation of higher gauge theory and gauged sigma models based on the abstract theory of graded commutative algebras and their morphisms. The formulation incorporates naturally BRST symmetry…
Generalisations of geometry have emerged in various forms in the study of field theory and quantization. This mini-review focuses on the role of higher geometry in three selected physical applications. After motivating and describing some…
We discuss the relations between (topological) quantum field theories in 4 dimensions and the theory of 2-knots (embedded 2-spheres in a 4-manifold). The so-called BF theories allow the construction of quantum operators whose trace can be…
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…
We extend the twisted gauge theory model of topological orders in three spatial dimensions to the case where the three spaces have two dimensional boundaries. We achieve this by systematically constructing the boundary Hamiltonians that are…
In this paper, we discuss a novel top-down perspective on gauging parameters in quantum field theories (QFTs) by promoting them to partially dynamical fields. Through a generalized notion of symmetry theories, we explore the consequences of…
A new type of topological matter interactions involving second-rank antisymmetric tensor matter fields with an underlying $N_T \geq 1$ topological supersymmetry are proposed. The construction of the 4-dimensional, $N_T = 1$ Donaldson-Witten…
We study the response of quantum many-body systems to coupling some of their degrees of freedom to external gauge fields. This serves to understand the current Green functions and transport properties of interacting many-body systems. Our…
We extend the coupling to the topological backgrounds, recently worked out for the 2-dimensional BF-model, to the most general Poisson sigma models. The coupling involves the choice of a Casimir function on the target manifold and modifies…
We review the construction of Lagrangians for higher spin fields of mixed symmetry in the framework of graded geometry. The main advantage of the graded formalism in this context is that it provides universal expressions, in the sense that…
Consistent interactions that can be added to a two-dimensional, free abelian gauge theory comprising a special class of BF-type models and a collection of vector fields are constructed from the deformation of the solution to the master…
Group field theories are quantum field theories built on groups. They can be seen as a tool to generate topological state-sums or quantum gravity models. For four dimensional manifolds, different arguments have pointed towards 2-groups…
$BF$ gravity comprises all the formulations of gravity that are based on deformations of $BF$ theory. Such deformations consist of either constraints or potential terms added to the topological $BF$ action that turn some of the gauge…
Outlined in this paper is a description of \emph{equivariance} in the world of 2-dimensional extended topological quantum field theories, under a topological action of compactLie groups. In physics language, I am gauging the theories ---…
A new topological model is proposed in three dimensions as an extension of the BF-model. It is a three-dimensional counterpart of the two-dimensional model introduced by Chamseddine and Wyler ten years ago. The BFK-model, as we shall call…
The double copy connects scattering amplitudes and other objects in gauge and gravity theories. Open conceptual issues include whether non-local information in gravity theories can be generated from the double copy, and how the double copy…
By means of an analogy with Classical Mechanics and Geometrical Optics, we are able to reduce Lagrangians to a kinetic term only. This form enables us to examine the extended solution set of field theories by finding the geodesics of this…