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Notes on 8 Majorana Fermions

by David Tong, Carl Turner

This Submission thread is now published as

Submission summary

Authors (as registered SciPost users): David Tong · Carl Turner
Submission information
Preprint Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.07199v2  (pdf)
Date accepted: 2020-03-26
Date submitted: 2020-03-05 01:00
Submitted by: Turner, Carl
Submitted to: SciPost Physics Lecture Notes
Ontological classification
Academic field: Physics
Specialties:
  • Condensed Matter Physics - Theory
  • High-Energy Physics - Theory
Approach: Theoretical

Abstract

Eight Majorana fermions in $d=1+1$ dimensions enjoy a triality that permutes the representation of the $SO(8)$ global symmetry in which the fermions transform. This triality plays an important role in the quantization of the superstring, and in the analysis of interacting topological insulators and the associated phenomenon of symmetric mass generation. The purpose of these notes is to provide an introduction to the triality and its applications, with careful attention paid to various ${\bf Z}_2$ global and gauge symmetries and their coupling to background spin structures.

Author comments upon resubmission

Contains the small changes suggested by the referees.

Published as SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 14 (2020)

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