Pith. sign in

Global Dipole Symmetry, Compact Lifshitz Theory, Tensor Gauge Theory, and Fractons

6 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.

6 Pith papers citing it
abstract

We study field theories with global dipole symmetries and gauge dipole symmetries. The famous Lifshitz theory is an example of a theory with a global dipole symmetry. We study in detail its 1+1d version with a compact field. When this global symmetry is promoted to a $U(1)$ dipole gauge symmetry, the corresponding gauge field is a tensor gauge field. This theory is known to lead to fractons. In order to resolve various subtleties in the precise meaning of these global or gauge symmetries, we place these 1+1d theories on a lattice and then take the continuum limit. Interestingly, the continuum limit is not unique. Different limits lead to different continuum theories, whose operators, defects, global symmetries, etc. are different. We also consider a lattice gauge theory with a $\mathbb Z_N$ dipole gauge group. Surprisingly, several physical observables, such as the ground state degeneracy and the mobility of defects depend sensitively on the number of sites in the lattice. Our analysis forces us to think carefully about global symmetries that do not act on the standard Hilbert space of the theory, but only on the Hilbert space in the presence of defects. We refer to them as time-like global symmetries and discuss them in detail. These time-like global symmetries allow us to phrase the mobility restrictions of defects (including those of fractons) as a consequence of a global symmetry.

citation-role summary

background 3

citation-polarity summary

roles

background 3

polarities

background 3

representative citing papers

Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic field theory

hep-th · 2026-04-08 · unverdicted · novelty 7.0

Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic φ-theory induce generalized Witten effects, with vortex operators gaining momentum subsystem charge (quadrupolar for the foliated case).

Higher Gauging and Non-invertible Condensation Defects

hep-th · 2022-04-05 · unverdicted · novelty 7.0

Higher gauging of 1-form symmetries on surfaces in 2+1d QFT yields condensation defects whose fusion rules involve 1+1d TQFTs and realizes every 0-form symmetry in TQFTs.

The state/defect correspondence

hep-th · 2026-06-10 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

Establishes a one-to-one correspondence between states and p-dimensional defects in higher-form Maxwell theories via an extended Kac-Moody algebra generated by conserved charges from mixed anomalies, mapping dressed Wilson-'t Hooft defects to squeezed energy eigenstates.

Modulated symmetries from generalized Lieb-Schultz-Mattis anomalies

cond-mat.str-el · 2025-10-21 · unverdicted · novelty 6.0

Spatially modulated symmetries arise from gauging ordinary symmetries under generalized LSM anomalies, with explicit lattice models in 2D and 3D plus field-theoretic descriptions in arbitrary dimensions that connect to higher-group structures.

citing papers explorer

Showing 6 of 6 citing papers.

  • Chiral Tube Algebras I: Topological Defect Lines, Twisted Modules, and Finite Gauging hep-th · 2026-07-08 · accept · none · ref 42 · internal anchor

    Chiral tube algebras unify chiral algebras and TDLs by acting on twisted defect spaces via local and non-local currents, with modules isomorphic to twisted modules of the parent algebras.

  • Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic field theory hep-th · 2026-04-08 · unverdicted · none · ref 20

    Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic φ-theory induce generalized Witten effects, with vortex operators gaining momentum subsystem charge (quadrupolar for the foliated case).

  • Higher Gauging and Non-invertible Condensation Defects hep-th · 2022-04-05 · unverdicted · none · ref 2

    Higher gauging of 1-form symmetries on surfaces in 2+1d QFT yields condensation defects whose fusion rules involve 1+1d TQFTs and realizes every 0-form symmetry in TQFTs.

  • The state/defect correspondence hep-th · 2026-06-10 · unverdicted · none · ref 77

    Establishes a one-to-one correspondence between states and p-dimensional defects in higher-form Maxwell theories via an extended Kac-Moody algebra generated by conserved charges from mixed anomalies, mapping dressed Wilson-'t Hooft defects to squeezed energy eigenstates.

  • Modulated symmetries from generalized Lieb-Schultz-Mattis anomalies cond-mat.str-el · 2025-10-21 · unverdicted · none · ref 21

    Spatially modulated symmetries arise from gauging ordinary symmetries under generalized LSM anomalies, with explicit lattice models in 2D and 3D plus field-theoretic descriptions in arbitrary dimensions that connect to higher-group structures.

  • Snowmass White Paper: Generalized Symmetries in Quantum Field Theory and Beyond hep-th · 2022-05-19 · unverdicted · none · ref 190

    This review summarizes transformative examples of generalized symmetries in QFT and their applications to anomalies and dynamics.