Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A bstract We study novel conformal twist defects in 4d Maxwell theory, around which electric and magnetic fields are exchanged. These are codimension-2 defects living at the end of topological defects for certain non-invertible global symmetries. We determine the operator spectrum of the twist defect by solving classical electromagnetic wave equations subject to a twisted boundary condition. Using techniques from defect CFT, we show that correlation functions of these defect operators factorize into two sectors: a universal generalized free-field sector, and a chiral current sector analogous to edge modes in Chern-Simons theory. In a similar setup, we also revisit the twist fields attached to non-invertible line defects in the 2d compact boson CFT. We discuss a defect ’t Hooft anomaly involving a chiral O (2) symmetry, highlighting its dynamical implications.
Source: Journal of High Energy Physics
Authors: Shu-Heng Shao, Siwei Zhong
Institutions: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: Simons Foundation
Awards: G7822648524, G8357670191
OpenAlex ID: W7125978002