Orbifolds of \(n\)-dimensional defect TQFTs (Q2632002)

The authors first introduce the notion of an \(n\)-dimensional topological quantum field theory with defects. After an introductory section, this is defined as a symmetric monoidal functor on a category of stratified bordisms of dimension \(n\), which are decorated by `defect data'. The main contribution of the paper is given in Section 3. This is a notion of `generalised orbifold' for such a defect TQFT, \(\mathcal{Z}\). This is done by triangulating the bordisms and then decorating their Poincaré duals with certain algebraic data, followed by evaluation using \(\mathcal{Z}\). The orbifold datum is constrained by demanding invariance under \(n\)-dimensional Pachner moves. In their final section, they examine the interesting question of organising the defect labels into some form of `fairly strict \(n\)-category with duals' for any \(n\in \mathbb{Z}_+\). They give such a plan for \(n=2\) and \(n=3\) and examine, in detail, special orbifold data in pivotal bicategories and in Gray categories with duals.