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Phases of theories with mathbb{Z}_N 1-form symmetry and the roles of center vortices and magnetic monopoles

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arxiv 2401.04800 v2 pith:P6RRGAJW submitted 2024-01-09 hep-th cond-mat.str-elhep-lat

Phases of theories with mathbb{Z}_N 1-form symmetry and the roles of center vortices and magnetic monopoles

classification hep-th cond-mat.str-elhep-lat
keywords phasetheoriesmathbbcenterconfinedconfinementgaugemonopoles
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal T4 reserved
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We analyze the phases of theories which only have a microscopic $\mathbb{Z}_N$ 1-form symmetry, starting with a topological BF theory and deforming it in accordance with microscopic symmetry. These theories have a well-defined notion of confinement. Prototypical examples are pure $SU(N)$ gauge theories and $\mathbb{Z}_N$ lattice gauge theories. Our analysis shows that the only generic phases are in $d=2$, only the confined phase; in $d=3$, both the confined phase and the topological BF phase; and in $d=4$, the confined phase, the topological BF phase, and a phase with a massless photon. We construct a $\mathbb{Z}_N$ lattice gauge theory with a deformation which, surprisingly, produces up to $(N-1)$ photons. We give an interpretation of these findings in terms of two competing pictures of confinement -- proliferation of monopoles and proliferation of center vortices -- and conclude that the proliferation of center vortices is a necessary but insufficient condition for confinement, while that of monopoles is both necessary and sufficient.

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Cited by 6 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

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