Higher anomalies, higher symmetries, and cobordisms. I: Classification of higher-symmetry-protected opological states and their boundary fermionic/bosonic anomalies via a generalized cobordism theory

DOI10.4310/AMSA.2019.V4.N2.A2MaRDI QIDQ2008380zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Zheyan Wan, Juven Wang

Publication date 25 November 2019

Published in Annals of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1812.11967

zbMATH Keywords

't Hooft anomalycobordism theorycohomology theorygauge theoryinvertible topological ordersinvertible topological quantum field theoryquantum anomalyquantum field theoryspectral sequencessymmetry protected topological statestopological insulators/superconductors

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Spectral sequences, hypercohomology (18G40) Bordism and cobordism theories and formal group laws in algebraic topology (55N22) Topological quantum field theories (aspects of differential topology) (57R56) Yang-Mills and other gauge theories in quantum field theory (81T13)

Abstract: By developing a generalized cobordism theory, we explore the higher global symmetries and higher anomalies of quantum field theories and interacting fermionic/bosonic systems in condensed matter. Our essential math input is a generalization of Thom-Madsen-Tillmann spectra, Adams spectral sequence, and Freed-Hopkins's theorem, to incorporate higher-groups and higher classifying spaces. We provide many examples of bordism groups with a generic $H$-structure manifold with a higher-group $mathbbG$, and their bordism invariants --- e.g. perturbative anomalies of chiral fermions [originated from Adler-Bell-Jackiw] or bosons with U(1) symmetry in any even spacetime dimensions; non-perturbative global anomalies such as Witten anomaly and the new SU(2) anomaly in 4d and 5d. Suitable $H$ such as SO/Spin/O/Pin${}^{p}m$ enables the study of quantum vacua of general bosonic or fermionic systems with time-reversal or reflection symmetry on (un)orientable spacetime. Higher 't Hooft anomalies of $d$d live on the boundary of $(d+1)$d higher-Symmetry-Protected Topological states (SPTs) or symmetric invertible topological orders (i.e., invertible topological quantum field theories at low energy); thus our cobordism theory also classifies and characterizes higher-SPTs. Examples of higher-SPT's anomalous boundary theories include strongly coupled non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge theories and sigma models, complementary to physics obtained in [arXiv:1810.00844, 1812.11955, 1812.11968, 1904.00994].

Review text

The principal objective in this paper is to develop a generalized cobordism theory, exploring the higher global symmetries and higher anomalies of field theories and interactive fermionic/bosonic systems in condensed matter. From a mathematical viewpoint, the main tools are Thom-Madsen-Tillmann spectra, Adams spectral sequence and Freed-Hopkins theorem. The authors provide many examples of bordism groups with a generic \(H\)-structure manifold with a \((d+1)\)-th higher group \(\mathbb{G}\) and their \((d+1)d\) bordism invariants, systematically classifying anaomalies of \(dd\) spacetime dimensions. Suitable \(H\) such as \(SO/Spin/O/Pin^{\pm}\) allows the study on quantum vacua of general bosonic or fermionic systems with time-reversal or reflection symmetry. The cobordism theory developed here classifies and characterizes higher symmetry-protected topological states (SPTs), including higher-symmetric generalization of time-reversal invariant topological insulators/superconductors. Higher-SPT's anomalous boundary theories can be seen in strongly coupled non-abelian Yang-Mills theories and sigma models, complementary to physics in [\textit{J. Wang}, \textit{X.-G. Wen} and \textit{E. Witten}, ``A new SU(2) anomaly, \url{arXiv:1810.00844}; \textit{Z. Wan} and \textit{J. Wang}, ``Adjoint \(QCD_4\), deconfined critical phenomena, symmetry-enriched topological quantum field theory, and higher symmetry-extension, \url{arXiv:1812.11955}; \textit{Z. Wan}, \textit{J. Wang} and \textit{Y. Zheng}, ``New higher anomalies, SU(N) Yang-Mills gauge theory and \(\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}\) sigma model, \url{arXiv:1812.11968}; \textit{Z. Wan}, \textit{J. Wang} and \textit{Y. Zheng}, ``Quantum 4d Yang-Mills theory and time-reversal symmetric 5d higher-gauge topological field theory, \url{arXiv:1904.00994}]. Further detailed calculations will follow.

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Cited in

(46)

• Extended quantum field theory, index theory, and the parity anomaly
• Framed Wilson operators, fermionic strings, and gravitational anomaly in 4d
• New higher anomalies, SU(N) Yang-Mills gauge theory and \(\mathbb{CP}^{\operatorname{N}-1}\) sigma model
• Classification of topological phases with finite internal symmetries in all dimensions
• Condensates and anomaly cascade in vector-like theories
• Global anomalies on the Hilbert space
• Fermionic finite-group gauge theories and interacting symmetric/crystalline orders via cobordisms
• Excitations in strict 2-group higher gauge models of topological phases
• Higher anomalies, higher symmetries, and cobordisms. II: Lorentz symmetry extension and enriched bosonic/fermionic quantum gauge theory
• Higher-rank tensor field theory of non-abelian fracton and embeddon
• Self-conjugate QCD
• \( \mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})\) action on QFTs with \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) symmetry and the Brown-Kervaire invariants
• Nothing is certain in string compactifications
• Open-closed correspondence of K-theory and cobordism
• Anomalies of non-abelian finite groups via cobordism
• A new $\operatorname{SU}(2)$ anomaly
• Infrared phases of 2d QCD
• Toric 2-group anomalies via cobordism
• On the 6d origin of non-invertible symmetries in 4d
• BPS states meet generalized cohomology
• Comments on non-invertible symmetries in Argyres-Douglas theories
• Global anomalies and bordism invariants in one dimension
• Spin-cobordisms, surgeries and fermionic modular bootstrap
• Non-invertible condensation, duality, and triality defects in 3+1 dimensions
• Smooth generalized symmetries of quantum field theories
• A non-perturbative mixed anomaly and fractional hydrodynamic transport
• What bordism-theoretic anomaly cancellation can do for U
• Anomalies and symmetry fractionalization
• Subsystem non-invertible symmetry operators and defects
• Symmetries and anomalies of Kitaev spin-S models: identifying symmetry-enforced exotic quantum matter
• Calculations for plus constructions
• Bordism for the 2-group symmetries of the heterotic and CHL strings
• Emergent generalized symmetries in ordered phases and applications to quantum disordering
• Homotopical foundations of parametrized quantum spin systems
• Anomalies of non-invertible symmetries in (3+1)d
• Non-invertible surface defects in 2+1d QFTs from half spacetime gauging
• The Smith fiber sequence and invertible field theories
• (Quadratically) refined discrete anomaly cancellation
• A long exact sequence in symmetry breaking: order parameter constraints, defect anomaly-matching, and higher Berry phases
• Morse-Bott inequalities, topology change and cobordisms to nothing
• Spin cobordism and the gauge group of type I/heterotic string theory
• Higher structure of chiral symmetry
• Backfiring bosonisation
• Anomaly interplay in U(2) gauge theories
• Generalized 't Hooft anomalies on non-spin manifolds
• Higher anomalies, higher symmetries, and cobordisms. III: QCD matter phases anew

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