Related papers: Orbifolds of topological quantum field theories
Orbifolds of two-dimensional quantum field theories have a natural formulation in terms of defects or domain walls. This perspective allows for a rich generalisation of the orbifolding procedure, which we study in detail for the case of…
We introduce a framework for internal topological symmetries in quantum field theory, including "noninvertible symmetries" and "categorical symmetries". This leads to a calculus of topological defects which takes full advantage of…
In this paper I discuss the formation of topological defects in quantum field theory and the relation between fractals and coherent states. The study of defect formation is particularly useful in the understanding of the same mathematical…
We introduce the notion of $n$-dimensional topological quantum field theory (TQFT) with defects as a symmetric monoidal functor on decorated stratified bordisms of dimension $n$. The familiar closed or open-closed TQFTs are special cases of…
We provide a lightning review of the construction of (generalised) orbifolds [arXiv:0909.5013, arXiv:1210.6363] of two-dimensional quantum field theories in terms of topological defects, along the lines of [arXiv:1307.3141]. This universal…
Symmetry topological field theory (SymTFT) is a convenient tool for studying finite generalized symmetries of a given quantum field theory (QFT). In particular, SymTFTs encode all the symmetry structures and properties, including anomalies.…
In this expository paper written for physicists and geometers we introduce the notions of TQFT and of orbifold. Then we survey the construction of TQFT's originating from orbifolds such as Chen-Ruan theory and Orbifold String Topology.
Defects are a useful tool in the study of quantum field theories. This is illustrated in the example of two-dimensional conformal field theories. We describe how defect lines and their junction points appear in the description of symmetries…
In the past year several constructions of non-invertible symmetries in Quantum Field Theory in $d\geq 3$ have appeared. In this paper we provide a unified perspective on these constructions. Central to this framework are so-called theta…
An equivariant topological field theory is defined on a cobordism category of manifolds with principal fiber bundles for a fixed (finite) structure group. We provide a geometric construction which for any given morphism $G \to H$ of finite…
Gauging is a powerful operation on symmetries in quantum field theory (QFT), as it connects distinct theories and also reveals hidden structures in a given theory. We initiate a systematic investigation of gauging discrete generalized…
We present a precise definition of extended homotopy quantum field theories and develop an orbifold construction for these theories when the target space is the classifying space of a finite group $G$, i.e. for $G$-equivariant topological…
In algebraic quantum field theory the spacetime manifold is replaced by a suitable base for its topology ordered under inclusion. We explain how certain topological invariants of the manifold can be computed in terms of the base poset. We…
The decomposition of an arbitrary axiomatic topological quantum field theory or TQFT into indecomposable theories is given. In particular, unitary TQFT's in arbitrary dimensions are shown to decompose into a sum of theories in which the…
We use topological quantum field theory to derive an invariant of a three-manifold with boundary. We then show how to use this invariant as an obstruction to embedding one three-manifold in another.
Given any symmetry acting on a $d$-dimensional quantum field theory, there is an associated $(d+1)$-dimensional topological field theory known as the Symmetry TFT (SymTFT). The SymTFT is useful for decoupling the universal quantities of…
We develop a general theory of 3-dimensional ``orbifold completion'', to describe (generalised) orbifolds of topological quantum field theories as well as all their defects. Given a semistrict 3-category $\mathcal{T}$ with adjoints for all…
As put forward in [arXiv:1907.12339] topological quantum field theories can be projected using so-called projection defects. The projected theory and its correlation functions can be completely realized within the unprojected one. An…
It was recently argued that quantum field theories possess one-form and higher-form symmetries, labelled `generalized global symmetries.' In this paper, we describe how those higher-form symmetries can be understood mathematically as…
In general quantum field theories (QFTs), ordinary (0-form) global symmetries and 1-form symmetries can combine into 2-group global symmetries. We describe this phenomenon in detail using the language of symmetry defects. We exhibit a…