Related papers: String-Membrane-Nets from Higher-Form Gauging: An …
We study the dynamics of an open membrane with a cylindrical topology, in the background of a constant three form, whose boundary is attached to p-branes. The boundary closed string is coupled to a two form potential to ensure gauge…
The study of discrete gauge symmetries in field theory and string theory is often carried out by embedding them into continuous symmetries. Many symmetries however do not seem to admit such embedding, for instance discrete isometries given…
We develop a unified mathematical theory of defect condensations for topological orders in all dimensions based on higher categories, higher algebras and higher representations. A k-codimensional topological defect $A$ in an n+1D…
We obtain the equations of motion for cosmic strings in extensions of the 3+1 FRW model with extra dimensions. From these we derive a generalisation of the Velocity-dependent One-Scale (VOS) model for cosmic string network evolution which…
We study a simple model of symmetry-enriched topological order obtained by decorating a toric code model with lower-dimensional symmetry-protected topological states. We show that the symmetry fractionalization in this model can be…
We consider discrete gauge symmetries in D dimensions arising as remnants of broken continuous gauge symmetries carried by general antisymmetric tensor fields, rather than by standard 1-forms. The lagrangian for such a general ${\bf Z}_p$…
We develop methods to probe the excitation spectrum of topological phases of matter in two spatial dimensions. Applying these to the Fibonacci string nets perturbed away from exact solvability, we analyze a topological phase transition…
The dual theory describing the 4D Coulomb gas of point-like magnetically charged objects, which confines closed electric strings, is considered. The respective generalization of the theory of confining strings to confining membranes is…
We investigate the properties of foliated gauge fields and construct several foliated field theories in 3+1d that describe foliated fracton orders both with and without matter, including the recent hybrid fracton models. These field…
Fractonic phases are new phases of matter that host excitations with restricted mobility. We show that a certain class of gapless fractonic phases are realized as a result of spontaneous breaking of continuous higher-form symmetries whose…
We consider the 3+1 visible sector to live on a Hanany-Witten D-brane construction in type IIA string theory. The messenger sector consists of stretched strings from the visible brane to a hidden D6-brane in the extra spatial dimensions. In…
Just as non-commutative gauge theories arise from quantising open strings in a large magnetic field, non-Abelian two-form gauge theories may conceivably be constructed by quantising open membranes in a large three-form magnetic background.…
We construct a family of exactly solvable spin models that illustrate a novel mechanism for fractionalization in topologically ordered phases, dubbed the string flux mechanism. The essential idea is that an anyon of a topological phase can…
We use the `branes within branes' approach to study the appearance of stable $ (p-2)-branes and unstable (p-1)-branes in type II string theory from p-brane--p-antibrane pairs.Our goal is to describe the emergence of these lower dimensional…
Pure gauge theories are rather different from theories with pure scalar and fermionic matter, especially in terms of the nature of excitations. For example, in scalar and fermionic theories, one can create ultra-local excitations. For a…
A careful treatment of closed string BRST cohomology shows that there are more discrete states and associated symmetries in $D=2$ string theory than has been recognized hitherto. The full structure, at the $SU(2)$ radius, has a natural…
Confining strings in 4D are effective, thick strings describing the confinement phase of compact U(1) and, possibly, also non-Abelian gauge fields. We show that these strings are dual to the gauge fields, inasmuch as their perturbative…
Four-dimensional compactifications of string theory provide a controlled set of possible gauge representations accounting for BSM particles and dark sector components. In this review, constraints from perturbative Type II string…
The success of SU(5)-like gauge coupling unification boundary conditions $g_3^2=g_2^2=5/3 g_1^2$ has biased most attempts to embed the SM interactions into a unified structure. After discussing the limitations of the orthodox approach, we…
We study a class of four-dimensional N=1 heterotic string theories which have nontrivial quantum dynamics arising from asymptotically free gauge groups. These models are obtained by orbifolding 4d N=2 heterotic/type II dual pairs by…