arXiv subjects

Sergio Benvenuti

Publications and source records attributed to Sergio Benvenuti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Sequential deconfinement in $3d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!2$ gauge theories

We consider $3d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!2$ gauge theories with fundamental matter plus a single field in a rank-$2$ representation. Using iteratively a process of "deconfinement" of the rank-$2$ field, we produce a sequence of Seiberg-dual quiver theories. We detail this process in two examples with zero superpotential: $Usp(2N)$ gauge theory with an antisymmetric field and $U(N)$ gauge theory with an adjoint field. The fully deconfined dual quiver has $N$ nodes, and can be interpreted as an Aharony dual of theories with rank-$2$ matter. All chiral ring generators of the original theory are mapped into gauge singlet fields of the fully deconfined quiver dual.

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arXiv2021

Monopoles and dualities in $3d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ quivers

Seiberg-like dualities in $2+1$d quiver gauge theories with $4$ supercharges are investigated. We consider quivers made of various combinations of classical gauge groups $U(N)$, $Sp(N)$, $SO(N)$ and $SU(N)$. Our main focus is the mapping of the supersymmetric monopole operators across the dual theories. There is a simple general rule that encodes the mapping of the monopoles upon dualising a single node. This rule dictates the mapping of all the monopoles which are not dressed by baryonic operators. We also study more general situations involving baryons and baryon-monopoles, focussing on three examples: $SU-Sp$, $SO-SO$ and $SO-Sp$ quivers.

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arXiv2019

Living on the walls of super-QCD

We study BPS domain walls in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ massive SQCD with gauge group $SU(N)$ and $F<N$ flavors. We propose a class of three-dimensional Chern-Simons-matter theories to describe the effective dynamics on the walls. Our proposal passes several checks, including the exact matching between its vacua and the solutions to the four-dimensional BPS domain wall equations, that we solve in the small mass regime. As the flavor mass is varied, domain walls undergo a second-order phase transition, where multiple vacua coalesce into a single one. For special values of the parameters, the phase transition exhibits supersymmetry enhancement. Our proposal includes and extends previous results in the literature, providing a complete picture of BPS domain walls for $F<N$ massive SQCD. A similar picture holds also for SQCD with gauge group $Sp(N)$ and $F < N+1$ flavors.

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arXiv2019

Easy-plane QED$_3$'s in the large $N_f$ limit

We consider Quantum Electrodynamics in $2{+}1$ dimensions with $N_f$ fermionic or bosonic flavors, allowing for interactions that respect the global symmetry $U(N_f/2)^2$. There are four bosonic and four fermionic fixed points, which we analyze using the large $N_f$ expansion. We systematically compute, at order $O(1/N_f)$, the scaling dimensions of quadratic and quartic mesonic operators. We also consider Quantum Electrodynamics with minimal supersymmetry. In this case the large $N_f$ scaling dimensions, extrapolated at $N_f{=}2$, agree quite well with the scaling dimensions of a dual supersymmetric Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model. This provides a quantitative check of the conjectured duality.

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arXiv2019

QED's in $2{+}1$ dimensions: complex fixed points and dualities

We consider Quantum Electrodynamics with an even number $N_f$ of bosonic or fermionic flavors, allowing for interactions respecting at least $U(N_f/2)^2$ global symmetry. Both in the bosonic and in the fermionic case, we find four interacting fixed points: two with $U(N_f/2)^2$ symmetry, two with $U(N_f)$ symmetry. Large $N_f$ arguments suggest that, lowering $N_f$, all these fixed points merge pairwise and become complex CFT's. In the bosonic QED's the merging happens around $N_f\sim 9{-}11$ and does not break the global symmetry. In the fermionic QED's the merging happens around $N_f\sim3{-}7$ and breaks $U(N_f)$ to $U(N_f/2)^2$. When $N_f=2$, we show that all four bosonic fixed points are one-to-one dual to the fermionic fixed points. The merging pattern suggested at large $N_f$ is consistent with the four $N_f=2$ boson $\lra$ fermion dualities, providing support to the validity of the scenario.

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arXiv2018

A tale of exceptional 3d dualities

We consider interesting Seiberg dualities for $Usp$ gauge theories with an antisymmetric, $8$ fundamentals and no superpotential. We reduce to three dimensions and systematically analyze deformations triggered by real and complex masses, reaching a plethora of $\mathcal{N}\!=\!2$ dualities for $U(N)$ and $Usp(2N)$ gauge theories, possibly with monopole superpotentials and Chern-Simons interactions. Special cases of these "exceptional dualities" are: supersymmetry enhancement dualities, "duality appetizers" and many known dualities relating rank-$1$ gauge groups. The $4d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ $Usp$ dualities provide a unified perspective on many curious phenomena of $3d$ and $4d$ gauge theories with four supercharges. Finally, we propose a free mirror for $A_{2N}$ Argyres-Douglas, with its related adjoint-$Usp(2N)$ duality, and we construct a mirror for adjoint-$U(N)$, with an arbitrary number flavors and zero superpotential.

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arXiv2018

N=1 QED in 2+1 dimensions: Dualities and enhanced symmetries

We consider three-dimensional sQED with 2 flavors and minimal supersymmetry. We discuss various models which are dual to Gross-Neveu-Yukawa theories. The $U(2)$ ultraviolet global symmetry is often enhanced in the infrared, for instance to $O(4)$ or $SU(3)$. This is analogous to the conjectured behaviour of non-supersymmetric QED with 2 flavors. A perturbative analysis of the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa models in the $D = 4 - \varepsilon$ expansion shows that the $U(2)$ preserving superpotential deformations of the sQED (modulo tuning mass terms to zero) are irrelevant, so the fixed points with enhanced symmetry are stable. We also construct an example of $\mathcal{N} = 2$ sQED with 4 flavors that exhibits enhanced $SO(6)$ symmetry.

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arXiv2018

$\mathcal{N}{=}1$ dualities in 2+1 dimensions

We consider minimally supersymmetric QCD in 2+1 dimensions, with Chern-Simons and superpotential interactions. We propose an infrared $SU(N) \leftrightarrow U(k)$ duality involving gauge-singlet fields on one of the two sides. It shares qualitative features both with 3d bosonization and with 4d Seiberg duality. We provide a few consistency checks of the proposal, mapping the structure of vacua and performing perturbative computations in the $\varepsilon$-expansion.

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arXiv2017

Lagrangians for generalized Argyres-Douglas theories

We continue the study of Lagrangian descriptions of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Argyres-Douglas theories. We use our recent interpretation in terms of sequential confinement to guess the Lagrangians of all the Argyres-Douglas models with Abelian three dimensional mirror. We find classes of four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ quivers that flow in the infrared to generalized Argyres-Douglas theories, such as the $(A_k,A_{kN+N-1})$ models. We study in detail how the $\mathcal{N}=1$ chiral rings map to the Coulomb and Higgs Branches of the $\mathcal{N}=2$ CFT's. The three dimensional mirror RG flows are shown to land on the $\mathcal{N}=4$ complete graph quivers. We also compactify to three dimensions the gauge theory dual to $(A_1,D_4)$, and find the expected Abelianization duality with $\mathcal{N}=4$ SQED with $3$ flavors.

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arXiv2017

Abelianization and Sequential Confinement in $2+1$ dimensions

We consider the lagrangian description of Argyres-Douglas theories of type $A_{2N-1}$, which is a $SU(N)$ gauge theory with an adjoint and one fundamental flavor. An appropriate reformulation allows us to map the moduli space of vacua across the duality, and to dimensionally reduce. Going down to three dimensions, we find that the adjoint SQCD "abelianizes": in the infrared it is equivalent to a $\mathcal{N}=4$ linear quiver theory. Moreover, we study the mirror dual: using a monopole duality to "sequentially confine" quivers tails with balanced nodes, we show that the mirror RG flow lands on $\mathcal{N}=4$ SQED with $N$ flavors. These results provide a physical derivation of previous proposals for the three dimensional mirror of AD theories.

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arXiv2017

Supersymmetric gauge theories with decoupled operators and chiral ring stability

We propose a general way to complete supersymmetric theories with operators below the unitarity bound, adding gauge-singlet fields which enforce the decoupling of such operators. This makes it possible to perform all usual computations, and to compactify on a circle. We concentrate on a duality between an $\mathcal{N}=1$ $SU(2)$ gauge theory and the $\mathcal{N}=2$ $A_3$ Argyres-Douglas [1,2], mapping the moduli space and chiral ring of the completed $\mathcal{N}=1$ theory to those of the $A_3$ model. We reduce the completed gauge theory to $3d$, finding a $3d$ duality with $\mathcal{N}=4$ SQED with two flavors. The naive dimensional reduction is instead $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQED. Crucial is a concept of chiral ring stability, which modifies the superpotential and allows for a $3d$ emergent global symmetry.

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arXiv2017

$\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories on unoriented/open four-manifolds and their AGT counterparts

We compute the exact path integral of $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories with general gauge group on $\mathbb{RP}^4$ and a $\mathbb{Z}_2$-quotient of the hemi-$S^4$. By specializing to $SU(2)$ superconformal quivers, we show that these, together with hemi-$S^4$ partition functions, compute Liouville correlators on unoriented/open Riemann surfaces. We perform explicit checks for Riemann surfaces obtained as $\mathbb{Z}_2$ quotients of the sphere and the torus. We also discuss the coupled $3d\!-\!4d$ systems associated to Liouville amplitudes with boundary punctures.

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arXiv2017

SUSY monopole potentials in 2+1 dimensions

Gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions can admit monopole operators in the potential. Starting with the theory without monopole potential, if the monopole potential is relevant there is an RG flow to the monopole-deformed theory. Here, focusing on U(Nc) SQCD with Nf flavors and N=2 supersymmetry, we show that even when the monopole potential is irrelevant, the monopole-modified theory Tm can exist and enjoy Seiberg-like dualities. We provide a renormalizable UV completion of Tm and an electric-magnetic dual description Tm'. We subject our proposal to various consistency checks such as mass deformations and three-sphere partition functions checks. We observe that Tm is the S-duality wall of 4D N=2 SQCD. We also consider monopole-deformed theories with Chern-Simons couplings and their duals.

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arXiv2016

Symmetry enhancements via 5d instantons, qW-algebrae and (1,0) superconformal index

We explore N=(1,0) superconformal six-dimensional theories arising from M5-branes probing a transverse A_k singularity. Upon circle compactification to 5 dimensions, we describe this system with a dual pq-web of five-branes and propose the spectrum of basic five-dimensional instanton operators driving global symmetry enhancement. For a single M5-brane, we find that the exact partition function of the 5d quiver gauge theory matches the 6d (1,0) index, which we compute by letter counting. We finally show that S-duality of the pq-web implies new relations among vertex correlators of qW-algebrae.

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arXiv2016

3d N=2 mirror symmetry, pq-webs and monopole superpotentials

D3 branes stretching between webs of (p,q) 5branes provide an interesting class of 3d N=2 theories. For generic pq-webs however the low energy field theory is not known. We use 3d mirror symmetry and Type IIB S-duality to construct Abelian gauge theories corresponding to D3 branes ending on both sides of a pq-web made of many coincident NS5's intersecting one D5. These theories contain chiral monopole operators in the superpotential and enjoy a non trivial pattern of global symmetry enhancements. In the special case of the pq-web with one D5 and one NS5, the 3d low energy SCFT admits three dual formulations. This triality can be applied locally inside bigger quiver gauge theories. We prove our statements using partial mirror symmetry `a la Kapustin-Strassler, showing the equality of the S^3_b partition functions and studying the quantum chiral rings.

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arXiv2012

3D-partition functions on the sphere: exact evaluation and mirror symmetry

We study N = 4 quiver theories on the three-sphere. We compute partition functions using the localisation method by Kapustin et al. solving exactly the matrix integrals at finite N, as functions of mass and Fayet-Iliopoulos parameters. We find a simple explicit formula for the partition function of the quiver tail T(SU(N)). This formula opens the way for the analysis of star-shaped quivers and their mirrors (that are the Gaiotto-type theories arising from M5 branes on punctured Riemann surfaces). We provide non-perturbative checks of mirror symmetry for infinite classes of theories and find the partition functions of the TN theory, the building block of generalised quiver theories.

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arXiv2010

The Hilbert Series of the One Instanton Moduli Space

The moduli space of k G-instantons on R^4 for a classical gauge group G is known to be given by the Higgs branch of a supersymmetric gauge theory that lives on Dp branes probing D(p + 4) branes in Type II theories. For p = 3, these (3 + 1) dimensional gauge theories have N = 2 supersymmetry and can be represented by quiver diagrams. The F and D term equations coincide with the ADHM construction. The Hilbert series of the moduli spaces of one instanton for classical gauge groups is easy to compute and turns out to take a particularly simple form which is previously unknown. This allows for a G invariant character expansion and hence easily generalisable for exceptional gauge groups, where an ADHM construction is not known. The conjectures for exceptional groups are further checked using some new techniques like sewing relations in Hilbert Series. This is applied to Argyres-Seiberg dualities.

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arXiv2009

Webs of five-branes and N=2 superconformal field theories

We describe configurations of 5-branes and 7-branes which realize, when compactified on a circle, new isolated four-dimensional N=2 superconformal field theories recently constructed by Gaiotto. Our diagrammatic method allows to easily count the dimensions of Coulomb and Higgs branches, with the help of a generalized s-rule. We furthermore show that superconformal field theories with E6, E7, E8 flavor symmetry can be analyzed in a uniform manner in this framework; in particular we realize these theories at infinitely strongly-coupled limits of quiver theories with SU gauge groups.

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