Related papers: Global Structure in the Presence of a Topological …
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…
The notion of G-structure is defined and various geometrical and topological aspects of such structures are discussed. A particular chain of subgroups in the affine group for Minkowski space is chosen and the canonical geometrical and…
The subject of topological defects has become a very attractive field of study given its apparent relevance to as diverse systems as the early universe and condensed matter. As usually envisaged the topology of the manifold M of the minima…
We use arguments based on Derrick's theorem to show that the property of collapse which is the key feature of global texture appears in several field theory models with broken global O(N) symmetry. Such models do not necessarily have…
We study anomalies of discrete internal global symmetry $G$ in two-dimensional rational conformal field theories based on twisted torus partition functions. The anomaly of $G$ can be seen from the noncommutativity of two symmetry lines…
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 examine the interplay of symmetry and topological order in $2+1$ dimensional topological phases of matter. We present a definition of the \it topological symmetry \rm group, which characterizes the symmetry of the emergent topological…
We consider two-dimensional (2d) quantum many-body systems with long-range orders, where the only gapless excitations in the spectrum are Goldstone modes of spontaneously broken continuous symmetries. To understand the interplay between…
The symmetry structure of a quantum field theory is determined not only by the topological defects that implement the symmetry and their fusion rules, but also by the topological networks they can form, which is referred to as the higher…
If the vacuum manifold of a field theory has the appropriate topological structure, the theory admits topological structures analogous to the D-branes of string theory, in which defects of one dimension terminate on other defects of higher…
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…
The modern approach to $m$-form global symmetries in a $d$-dimensional quantum field theory (QFT) entails specifying dimension $d-m-1$ topological generalized symmetry operators which non-trivially link with $m$-dimensional defect…
The study of topology in solids is undergoing a renaissance following renewed interest in the properties of ferroic domain walls as well as recent discoveries regarding topological insulators and skyrmionic lattices. Each of these systems…
Topology in photonics comes in two distinct flavors: global and local. Global topology considers invariants that are obtained by integrating over the energy band, whereas local topology considers defects, typically vortices, in the…
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…
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…
This is a survey article for the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Physics, 2nd Edition. Topological defects are described in the context of the 2-dimensional Ising model on the lattice, in 2-dimensional quantum field theory, in topological…
Topological holography is a holographic principle that describes the generalized global symmetry of a local quantum system in terms of a topological order in one higher dimension. This framework separates the topological data from the local…
A topological defect separating a pair of two-dimensional CFTs is a codimension one interface along which all components of the stress-energy tensor glue continuously. We study topological defects of the bosonic, (0,1)- and…
Topological duality defects arise as codimension one generalized symmetry operators in quantum field theories (QFTs) with a duality symmetry. Recent investigations have shown that in the case of 4D $\mathcal{N} = 4$ Super Yang-Mills (SYM)…