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Fourier-transformed gauge theory models of three-dimensional topological orders with gapped boundaries

by Siyuan Wang, Yanyan Chen, Hongyu Wang, Yuting Hu, Yidun Wan

Submission summary

Authors (as registered SciPost users): Siyuan Wang
Submission information
Preprint Link: scipost_202406_00062v3  (pdf)
Date submitted: 2025-03-18 16:45
Submitted by: Wang, Siyuan
Submitted to: SciPost Physics
Ontological classification
Academic field: Physics
Specialties:
  • Condensed Matter Physics - Theory
  • High-Energy Physics - Theory
  • Mathematical Physics
Approach: Theoretical

Abstract

In this paper, we apply the method of Fourier transform and basis rewriting developed in [JHEP02(2020)030] for the two-dimensional quantum double model of topological orders to the three-dimensional gauge theory model (with a gauge group G) of three-dimensional topological orders. We find that the gapped boundary condition of the gauge theory model is characterized by a Frobenius algebra in the representation category Rep(G) of G, which also describes the charge splitting and condensation on the boundary. We also show that our Fourier transform maps the three-dimensional gauge theory model with input data G to the Walker-Wang model with input data Rep(G) on a trivalent lattice with dangling edges, after truncating the Hilbert space by projecting all dangling edges to the trivial representation of G. This Fourier transform also provides a systematic construction of the gapped boundary theory of the Walker-Wang model. This establishes a correspondence between two types of topological field theories: the extended Dijkgraaf-Witten and extended Crane-Yetter theories.

Author indications on fulfilling journal expectations

  • Provide a novel and synergetic link between different research areas.
  • Open a new pathway in an existing or a new research direction, with clear potential for multi-pronged follow-up work
  • Detail a groundbreaking theoretical/experimental/computational discovery
  • Present a breakthrough on a previously-identified and long-standing research stumbling block

Author comments upon resubmission

Thank you for your continued time and effort in reviewing our manuscript. We greatly appreciate your insightful feedback, which has helped us further improve our work. In response to your latest comments, we have focused on incorporating a specific example to better illustrate our key arguments. We believe this addition clarifies our discussion and strengthens the presentation of our results. We hope these revisions address your concerns and bring our manuscript closer to meeting the standards for publication in SciPost Physics. We look forward to any further feedback you may have.

List of changes

1. On page 4, a footnote is added, where we have mentioned the relationship between the Fourier transform and this change of basis at the Hamiltonian level of non-abelian lattice gauge theory.

2. On page 4, the fourth paragraph of subsection 1.2, a sentence is added to further explain the role of the tails in the Hilbert space. Reference 40 is added there.

3. On page 6, the third paragraph of section 2, a sentence is added to clarify that only some of the gapped boundaries, that is, those boundaries with trivial twist, will be discussed in our paper.

4. On page 6, the last sentence of section 2, we change the phrase "elementary excitations" to "loop-like excitations". Reference 45, studying 3-loop braiding in 3DTO's, is also added there.

5. On page 12, below eq.(32), we add some text to compare our Fourier transform with the basis transformation between the electric and magnetic bases of the non-abelian lattice gauge theory.

6. On page 16, below eq.(40), a sentence is added to emphasize that any two edges that cross in this projection will pick up an $R$ matrix when evaluating a particular state.

7. On page 16, at the end of subsection 3.2, a sentence is added to indicate that the argument for the equivalence of models with difference $R$-matrices can be found in subsection 5.2, and another sentence is added to indicate that some examples can be found in appendix C.

8. On page 17, at the end of subsection 3.3, a paragraph is added to discuss charge excitations in the bulk.

9. On page 26, at the end of subsection 5.2, the argument for the equivalence of models with difference $R$-matrices is added.

10. Appendix C is added to list some examples.

Current status:
In refereeing

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