Related papers: Defect lines, dualities, and generalised orbifolds

We propose a unifying mathematical framework describing the higher categorical structures formed by topological defects in quantum field theory equipped with tangential structures, such as orientations, framings, or…

Duality, the equivalence between seemingly distinct quantum systems, is a curious property that has been known for at least three quarters of a century. In the past two decades it has played a central role in mapping out the structure of…

Motivated by the three-dimensional topological field theory / two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) correspondence, we study a broad class of one-dimensional quantum mechanical models, known as anyonic chains, that can give rise to…

We use high-precision spectroscopy and detailed theoretical modelling to determine the form of the coupling between a superconducting phase qubit and a two-level defect. Fitting the experimental data with our theoretical model allows us to…

We study a class of defect quantum field theories where the quantum field theory in the 3+1-dimensional bulk is a free photon and charged matter and the interactions of the photons with the charges occur entirely on a 2+1-dimensional…

Topological defects (TDs) are crucial for understanding important physical properties of crystalline materials including mechanical failure, ion transport, and two-dimensional melting. This concept has not translated to disordered materials…

Defect conformal field theories (dCFTs) have been attracting increased attention recently, mainly because they enable us to bridge the gap between idealistic, highly symmetric models of our world (such as the particle/string duality) and…

Symmetry plays a central role in quantum field theory. Recent developments include symmetries that act on defects and other subsystems, and symmetries that are categorical rather than group-like. These generalized notions of symmetry allow…

We construct and investigate quantum fields induced on a d-dimensional dissipationless defect by bulk fields propagating in a (d+1)-dimensional space. All interactions are localized on the defect. We derive a unitary non-canonical quantum…

Extended objects such as line or surface operators, interfaces or boundaries play an important role in conformal field theory. Here we propose a systematic approach to the relevant conformal blocks which are argued to coincide with the wave…

Boundary conditions and defects of any codimension are natural parts of any quantum field theory. Surface defects in three-dimensional topological field theories of Turaev-Reshetikhin type have applications to two-dimensional conformal…

I discuss some aspects of conformal defects and conformal interfaces in two spacetime dimensions. Special emphasis is placed on their role as spectrum-generating symmetries of classical string theory.

Defects play a central role in many contexts, from condensed matter to quantum gravity. The situations in which the bulk theory is conformal and the defect inherits part of this symmetry -- the so-called defect conformal field theories…

These are a set of lecture notes on generalized global symmetries in quantum field theory. The focus is on invertible symmetries with a few comments regarding non-invertible symmetries. The main topics covered are the basics of higher-form…

Dijkgraaf-Witten theories are extended three-dimensional topological field theories of Turaev-Viro type. They can be constructed geometrically from categories of bundles via linearization. Boundaries and surface defects or interfaces in…

We give a modern geometric viewpoint on anomalies in quantum field theory and illustrate it in a 1-dimensional theory: supersymmetric quantum mechanics. This is background for the resolution of worldsheet anomalies in orientifold…

We study symmetry-breaking line defects in the Wilson-Fisher theory with $O(2N+1)$ global symmetry near four dimensions and symmetry-preserving surface defects in a cubic model with $O(2N)$ global symmetry near six dimensions. We introduce…

In this paper we discuss gauging one-form symmetries in two-dimensional theories. The existence of a global one-form symmetry in two dimensions typically signals a violation of cluster decomposition -- an issue resolved by the observation…

The theory of Topological Modular Forms suggests the existence of deformation invariants for two-dimensional supersymmetric field theories that are more refined than the standard elliptic genus. In this note we give a physical definition of…

Defects in conformal field theories are interesting objects to study from both formal and applied points of view. In this paper, we construct conformal defects in free scalar field CFTs in diverse dimensions. After discussing the possible…