Adjunctions and defects in Landau-Ginzburg models (Q904025)

Landau-Ginzburg models give rise to a bicategory \(\mathcal{LG}_k\) (where \(k\) is base ring): objects (or bulk theories) are given by a polynomial ring \(R = k[x_1, \dots, x_n]\) together with a potential \(W \in R\), \(1\)-morphisms (or defects) are matrix factorizations, and \(2\)-morphisms (or fields) are maps of matrix factorizations. Thus, a string diagram in this bicategory can be visualized as a worldsheet with defect lines and field insertions. The main result of the paper is to show that \(\mathcal{LG}_k\) has adjoints. The evaluation and coevaluation maps are described in terms of Atiyah classes and homological perturbation. It is also shown that \(\mathcal{LG}_k\) is graded pivotal. The paper ends with some applications, concerning defect action on bulk fields, correlators in open/closed TFTs and a new proof of the Cardy condition, and finally shadows and bicategorical traces.