We study dualities for 3d $\mathcal{N} = 2$ $SU(N_c)$ SQCD at Chern-Simons level $k$ in presence of an adjoint with polynomial superpotential. The dualities are dubbed chiral because there is a different amount of fundamentals $N_f$ and antifundamentals $N_a$. We build a complete classification of such dualities in terms of $ |N_f - N_a| $ and $k$. The classification is obtained by studying the flow from the non-chiral case, and we corroborate our proposals by matching the three-sphere partition functions. Finally, we revisit the case of $SU(N_c)$ SQCD without the adjoint, comparing our results with previous literature.
We study various aspects of the 4d/3d reduction of $\mathcal{N}=1$ dualities involving $USp(2N_c)$ gauge theories with $2N_f$ fundamentals and one antisymmetric. We discuss the non-trivial role played by the monopole superpotentials in the reduction and obtain new 3d dualities for models with both symplectic and unitary gauge groups. For $N_f=4$ we observe interesting webs of dualities and symmetry enhancements, recovering and extending some results already appeared in the literature.
We study dualities for $3d$ $\text{U}(N_{c})_k$ chiral SQCD with $D_{n+2}$-type superpotential, with $n$ odd. We give a complete classification of such dualities in terms of the number of fundamentals and anti-fundamentals and the Chern-Simons level. The classification is obtained by real mass and Higgs flows from non-chiral dualities and we check the consistency of the new non-chiral dualities at the level of the partition function. We we also check that the complex phases appearing in the integral identities between the partition functions are consistent with the contact terms computed as qu…
In this paper we study dualities for $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories in three dimensions with matter in the fundamental and adjoint representation. The duality we propose, analogous to mirror symmetry, is obtained starting from $\mathcal{N}=4$ mirror theories and turning on a certain superpotential deformation involving monopole operators. We study the role of emergent symmetries in the dual theory, focusing on the case of models with gauge symmetry $U(2)$ or $SU(2)$. We find that $SU(2)$ adjoint SQCD with one flavor and zero superpotential is dual to SQED with two flavors and three singlets. A…
We study gauge theories with N=1 supersymmetry in 2+1 dimensions. We start by calculating the 1-loop effective superpotential for matter in an arbitrary representation. We then restrict ourselves to gauge theories with fundamental matter. Using the 1-loop superpotential, we find a universal form for the phase diagrams of many such gauge theories, which is proven to persist to all orders in perturbation theory using a symmetry argument. This allows us to conjecture new dualities for N=1 gauge theories with fundamental matter. We also show that these dualities are related to results in N=2 super…
We discuss the degeneration limits of d=4 superconformal indices that relate Seiberg duality for the d=4 N=1 SQCD theory to Aharony and Giveon-Kutasov dualities for d=3 N=2 SQCD theories. On a mathematical level we argue that this 3d/4d connection entails a new set of non-standard degeneration identities between hyperbolic hypergeometric integrals. On a physical level we propose that such degeneration formulae provide a new route to the still illusive Seiberg dualities for d=3 N=2 SQCD theories with SU(N) gauge group.
We study 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ dualities arising from the compactification of 4d $\mathcal{N}=1$ $Usp(2 n)$ SQCD with two antisymmetric rank-two tensors and $D_{k+2}$-type superpotential, with odd $k$. The analysis is carried out by using field theory methods and by checking the various steps on the three sphere partition function. Most of the results are based on a conjectural confining duality that we do not prove but that fits consistently with the web of dualities that we obtain. Along the analysis we recover dualities already claimed in the literature and we propose new ones. The final pictu…
We investigate models of SU(N) SQCD with adjoint matter and non trivial mesonic deformations. We apply standard methods in the dual magnetic theory and we find meta-stable supersymmetry breaking vacua with arbitrary large lifetime. We comment on the difference with known models.
The 'a - maximization' was introduced by K. Inrtiligator and B. Wecht for finding anomalous dimensions of chiral superfields at the IR fixed points of the RG flow. Using known explicit calculations of anomalous dimensions in the perturbation theory of SQCD (with one or two additional adjoint fields), it is checked here at the three-loop level.
We study 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQCD with symplectic and orthogonal gauge groups and adjoint matter. For $USp(2n)$ with two fundamentals and $SO(N)$ with one vector these models have been recently shown to s-confine. Here we corroborate the validity of this proposal by relating it to the confinement of $USp(2n)$ with four fundamentals and an antisymmetric tensor, using exact mathematical results coming from the analysis of the partition function on the squashed three-sphere. Our analysis allows us to conjecture new s-confining theories for a higher number of fundamentals and vectors, in presence o…
In this note we elaborate on the reduction of four dimensional Seiberg duality with adjoint matter to three dimensions. We use the exact formulation of the superconformal index and of the partition function as instruments to test this reduction. We translate the identity between indices of the dual 4d theories to 3d. This produces various new identities between partition functions of 3d dual phases.
We present the configurations of intersecting branes in type IIA string theory corresponding to the meta-stable supersymmetry breaking vacua(hep-th/0608063) in the four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory coupled massive flavors with adjoint matter where the superpotential has three deformed terms.
We use the plethystic exponential and the Molien-Weyl formula to compute the Hilbert series (generating funtions), which count gauge invariant operators in N=1 supersymmetric SU(N_c), Sp(N_c), SO(N_c) and G_2 gauge theories with 1 adjoint chiral superfield, fundamental chiral superfields, and zero classical superpotential. The structure of the chiral ring through the generators and relations between them is examined using the plethystic logarithm and the character expansion technique. The palindromic numerator in the Hilbert series implies that the classical moduli space of adjoint SQCD is an …
We map out and explore the zoo of possible 4d N=1 superconformal theories which are obtained as RG fixed points of N=1 SQCD with N_f fundamental and N_a adjoint matter representations. Using "a-maximization," we obtain exact operator dimensions at all RG fixed points and classify all relevant, Landau-Ginzburg type, adjoint superpotential deformations. Such deformations can be used to RG flow to new SCFTs, which are then similarly analyzed. Remarkably, the resulting 4d SCFT classification coincides with Arnold's ADE singularity classification. The exact superconformal R-charge and the central c…
We briefly review our analysis of a model with non supersymmetric vacua in N=1 gauge theories with adjoint matter and no R-symmetry. We show here that this model without any modification fits into a direct gauge mediation scenario and leads to massive gauginos.
Gauge theories with fermions in adjoint and fundamental representations are relevant for many different applications including composite Higgs models and general aspects of the confinement problem. We present first results from simulations of SU(2) gauge theory with two Dirac fermions in the fundamental representation and one adjoint flavor. In this context, we also discuss applications towards simulations of supersymmetric QCD.
We study Aharony dualities for 3d N=2 gauge theories of classical gauge group with one adjoint and fundamental matters. We work out the 3d superconformal index for the dual pairs to find the perfect matchings. Along with it, we enumerate the independent monopole operators parametrizing the Coulomb branches and confirm the nonperturbative truncation of the chiral rings, consistent with the proposed dualities.
We obtain the brane setup describing 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ dualities for $USp(2N_c)$ and $U(N_c)$ SQCD with monopole superpotentials. This classification follows from a complete analysis of affine and twisted affine compactifications from 4d. The analysis leads to a new duality for the unitary case that has been previously overlooked in the literature. We check this by matching of the three sphere partition function of the two sides of this new duality and find a perfect agreement. Furthermore we use the partition function to predict new 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ dualities for SQCD with monopole superpo…
We propose new 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ Seiberg-like dualities by considering various monopole superpotential deformations on 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ $U(N_c)$ SQCDs with fundamental and adjoint matter fields. We provide nontrivial evidence of these new dualities by comparing the superconformal indices, from which we analyze the change of the moduli space due to the monopole deformation. In addition, we perform the $F$-maximization to check the relevance of the monopole deformation for some examples, one of which is found to exhibit nontrivial symmetry enhancement in the IR. We prove such enhancement of t…
We systematically study 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ dualities for $U(N_c)$ gauge theories with different CS levels for the abelian and the non-abelian factors. We derive such dualities by a gauging/ungauging procedure on other known dualities and by adding an opportune CS contact term for the baryonic symmetry. This allows us to follow the various steps on the three sphere partition function, obtaining exact identities among the new dual phases proposed here. We apply the procedure to various cases, namely SQCD without and with adjoint, chiral dualities and some sporadic cases arising from the real mas…
We analyze classical and quantum chiral ring relations of four dimensional ${\cal N} = 1$ adjoint SQCD with superpotential turned on for the adjoint field. In particular, for the mass deformed theory we obtain the complete on shell vacuum expectation value for various gauge invariant chiral operators and find non-trivial gaugino condensations. When approaching to massless limit nontrivial flat directions in the moduli space of vacua appear, where the Coulomb branch can be naturally classified and the Higgs branch receives quantum corrections. We argue that the solution of the chiral ring is in…
Exact field theory dualities can be implemented by duality domain walls such that passing any operator through the interface maps it to the dual operator. This paper describes the S-duality wall of four-dimensional ${\cal N}=2$ SU(N) SQCD with 2N hypermultiplets in terms of fields on the defect, namely three-dimensional ${\cal N}=2$ SQCD with gauge group U(N-1) and 2N flavours, with a monopole superpotential. The theory is self-dual under a duality found by Benini, Benvenuti and Pasquetti, in the same way that T[SU(N)] (the S-duality wall of ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills) is self-mirror. The d…
We consider the analogue of Kutasov-Schwimmer-Seiberg duality for two-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(2,2)$ $U(k)$ gauge theory with one adjoint $X$ with the superpotential $\Tr X^{l+1}$ and with fundamental and anti-fundamantal chiral multiplets. We give the evidences for the proposed dualities by analytically proving that the elliptic genus of dual pair coincides with each other. For some of the dual pairs flowing to the superconformal field theory, we show the nonperturbative truncation of the chiral ring. For the theory with one adjoint and $N_f >k$ fundamentals, we argue the theory exhibits mas…
We revisit the study of singular points in the Coulomb branch of $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQCD in four dimensions with gauge group $SU(N)$ and odd number of flavors. For certain choices of the mass parameters these vacua are not lifted by a mass term for the chiral multiplet in the adjoint representation. By using recent results about the M5 brane description of $\mathcal{N}=1$ theories we study the resulting vacua and argue that the low-energy effective theory has a simple Lagrangian description involving a free chiral multiplet in the adjoint representation of the flavor symmetry group, a system some…
We study 1/2 BPS Wilson loops in 3d $\mathcal{N}=4$ $U(N)$ Yang-Mills theory with one adjoint and $N_f$ fundamental hypermultiplets from the Fermi gas approach. By numerical fitting, we find the first few worldsheet instanton corrections to the Wilson loops with winding numbers 1, 2 and 3. We verify that our Fermi gas results are consistent with the matrix model results in the planar limit.
We consider supersymmetric domain walls of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ $Sp(N)$ SQCD with $F\!=\!N+1$ and $F\!=\!N+2$ flavors. First, we study numerically the differential equations defining the walls, classifying the solutions. When $F\!=\!N+2$, in the special case of the parity-invariant walls, the naive analysis does not provide all the expected solutions. We show that an infinitesimal deformation of the differential equations sheds some light on this issue. Second, we discuss the $3d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ Chern-Simons-matter theories that should describe the effective dynamics on th…
We study Seiberg-like dualities for 3d N=2 theories with flavors in fundamental and adjoint representations. The recent results of Intriligator and Seiberg provide a derivation of an Aharony duality from a Giveon-Kutasov duality. We extend their result to the case of more general theories involving various masses for fundamental quarks and adjoint fields. By fine tuning the vev of a scalar field and using various identifications between gauge groups and their singlet duals, we derive several examples of Aharony dualities. For theories with an adjoint field, we discuss the connection between th…
Recently a very interesting three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric theory with $SU(3)$ global symmetry was discussed by several authors. We denote this model by $T_x$. This was conjectured to have two dual descriptions, one with explicit supersymmetry and emergent flavor symmetry and the other with explicit flavor symmetry and emergent supersymmetry. We discuss a third description of the model which has both flavor symmetry and supersymmetry manifest. We then investigate models which can be constructed by using $T_x$ as a building block gauging the global symmetry and paying special …
We study $N = 2$ 3-d theories with two adjoints and fundamental flavors along with D-type superpotential. For superpotential $W_{D_{n+2}} = \mathrm{Tr} \left(X^{n+1}+X Y^2\right)$ with $n$ odd, we propose the 3d dualities, which we motivate from the dimensional reduction of the related 4-d theory. We consider the factorization of the superconformal index and match precisely the vortex partition function of the dual pairs. In the language of the Higgs branch localization, the nonzero contribution of the vortex partition function comes from the discrete Higgs vacua of the massively deformed theo…
We examine the decoupling properties of the N=2 SQCD vacua when the adjoint mass term is turned on and then the N=1 limit is taken. The BPS domain wall tension in N=1 MQCD and SQCD is also examined. The correspondence of the MQCD integrals with the superpotential and the gaugino condensate is shown.
Universal Planar Abelian Duals for 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ Unitary CS-SQCD
INFN, Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）；Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London（帝国理工学院阿卜杜斯·萨拉姆理论物理中心）；SISSA（的里雅斯特高级研究学院）
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 $4d$ $\mathcal{N}\!=\!1$ $U…
We consider an 'electric' $U(N)$ level $k$ QCD$_3$ theory with one adjoint Majorana fermion. Inspired by brane dynamics, we suggest that for $k \ge N/2$ the massive $m<0$ theory, in the vicinity of the supersymmetric point, admits a $U(k-\frac{N}{2})_{-(\frac{1}{2}k+\frac{3}{4}N),-(k+\frac{N}{2})}$ 'magnetic' dual with one adjoint Majorana fermion. The magnetic theory flows in the IR to a topological $U(k-\frac{N}{2})_{-N,-(k+\frac{N}{2})}$ pure Chern-Simons theory in agreement with the dynamics of the electric theory. When $k<N/2$ the magnetic dual is $U(\frac{N}{2}-k)_{\frac{1}{2}k+\frac{3}{…
One interesting feature of 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories is that gauge-invariant operators can decouple by strong-coupling effects, leading to emergent flavor symmetries in the IR. The details of such decoupling, however, depends very delicately on the gauge group and matter content of the theory. We here systematically study the IR behavior of 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ SQCD with $N_f$ flavors, for gauge groups $\mathrm{SU}(N_c), \mathrm{USp}(2N_c)$ and $\mathrm{SO}(N_c)$. We apply a combination of analytical and numerical methods, both to small values of $N_c, N_f$ and also to the Veneziano limit, whe…
We study the Seiberg dualities with an adjoint matter for the $U(N)$ and $SU(N)$ gauge groups in three- and four-dimensions with four supercharges. The relation between three- and four-dimensional dualities is investigated. We especially derive the three-dimensional duality from four-dimensional one by the dimensional reduction including the non-perturbative effect of the $\mathbb{S}^1$-compactification. In the $U(N)$ case, we obtain the Kim-Park duality, which is known as a generalization of the Aharony duality including an adjoint matter. In the $SU(N)$ case, we obtain the duality which foll…
It was recently proposed that N=1 supersymmetric gauged matrix models have a duality of order four - that is, a quadrality - reminiscent of infrared dualities of SQCD theories in higher dimensions. In this note, we show that the zero-dimensional quadrality proposal can be infered from the two-dimensional Gadde-Gukov-Putrov triality. We consider two-dimensional N=(0,2) SQCD compactified on a sphere with the half-topological twist. For a convenient choice of R-charge, the zero-mode sector on the sphere gives rise to a simple N=1 gauged matrix model. Triality on the sphere then implies a triality…
We describe a method which allows one to study hidden symmetries in a large class of strongly coupled supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions. We apply this method to the ABJM theory and to the infrared limit of N=4 SQCD with adjoint and fundamental matter. We show that the U(N) ABJM model with Chern-Simons level k=1 or k=2 has hidden N=8 supersymmetry. Hidden supersymmetry is also shown to occur in N=4 d=3 SQCD with one fundamental and one adjoint hypermultiplet. The latter theory, as well as the U(N) ABJM theory at k=1, are shown to have a decoupled free sector. This provides evide…
Using four-dimensional unitarity and MHV-rules we calculate the one-loop MHV amplitudes with all external particles in the adjoint representation for N=2 supersymmetric QCD with N_f fundamental flavours. We start by considering such amplitudes in the superconformal N=4 gauge theory where the N=4 supersymmetric Ward identities (SWI) guarantee that all MHV amplitudes for all types of external particles are given by the corresponding tree-level result times a universal helicity- and particle-type-independent contribution. In N=2 SQCD the MHV amplitudes differ from those for N=4 for general values…
In this paper we study the reduction of four-dimensional Seiberg duality to three dimensions from a brane perspective. We reproduce the non-perturbative dynamics of the three-dimensional field theory via a T-duality at finite radius and the action of Euclidean D-strings. In this way we also overcome certain issues regarding the brane description of Aharony duality. Moreover we apply our strategy to more general dualities, such as toric duality for M2-branes and dualities with adjoint matter fields.
We study 2+1 dimensional gauge theories with a Chern-Simons term and a fermion in the adjoint representation. We apply general considerations of symmetries, anomalies, and renormalization group flows to determine the possible phases of the theory as a function of the gauge group, the Chern-Simons level $k$, and the fermion mass. We propose an inherently quantum mechanical phase of adjoint QCD with small enough $k$, where the infrared is described by a certain Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT). For a special choice of the mass, the theory has ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetry. There this TQFT is…
We construct a three dimensional deconfinement method which enables us to find new three-dimensional dualities and we apply various techniques developed in four dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories, such as the product gauge groups and Seiberg-Witten curves to the three dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories. Dual descriptions of three dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric gauge theories which involve two-index matters, for example, adjoint, symmetric, and anti-symmetric matters without superpotentials can be obtained. These matters are described in terms of s-conf…
This paper could have been entitled "D branes and strings from flesh and blood." We study field theoretic prototypes of D branes/strings. To this end we consider (2+1)-dimensional domain walls in (3+1)-dimensional N=2 SQCD with SU(2) gauge group and two quark flavors in the fundamental representation. This theory is perturbed by a small mass term of the adjoint matter which, in the leading order in the mass parameter, does not break N=2 supersymmetry, and reduces to a (generalized) Fayet-Iliopoulos term in the effective low-energy N=2 SQED. We find 1/2 BPS-saturated domain wall solution interp…
We classify all Kutasov-Seiberg type dualities in large $N_c$ SQCD with adjoints of rational $R$-charges. This is done by equating the superconformal index of the electric and magnetic theories: the obtained equation has a solution each time some product of cyclotomic polynomials has only positive coefficients. In this way we easily reproduce without any reference to the superpotential or the choice of the equations of motion (classical chiral ring) all the known dualities from the literature, while adding to them a new family with two adjoints with $R$ charges $\frac{2}{2k+1}$ and $\frac{2(k+…
We use conformal embeddings involving exceptional affine Kac-Moody algebras to derive new dualities of three-dimensional topological field theories. These generalize the familiar level-rank duality of Chern-Simons theories based on classical gauge groups to the setting of exceptional gauge groups. For instance, one duality sequence we discuss is $(E_{N})_{1}\leftrightarrow SU(9-N)_{-1}$. Others such as $SO(3)_{8}\leftrightarrow PSU(3)_{-6},$ are dualities among theories with classical gauge groups that arise due to their embedding into an exceptional chiral algebra. We apply these equivalences…
Contact terms in two point functions of global symmetry currents have recently been proposed as a check of Seiberg-like duality in three dimensional supersymmetric field theories. In this paper we compute the contact terms for various N=2 dual pairs in flat space. We show that the results of this computation agree with the ones obtained from localization. We study dual pairs of gauge theories with (anti-)fundamental matter fields, and some special examples of dual pairs with adjoint and antisymmetric matter fields. We also propose a duality between unitary and symplectic gauge theories.
We study the integral Bailey lemma associated with the $\mathrm{A_n}$-root system and identities for elliptic hypergeometric integrals generated thereby. Interpreting integrals as superconformal indices of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ quiver gauge theories with the gauge groups being copies of $\mathrm{SU(n+1)}$, we provide evidence for various new dualities. Further confirmation is achieved by explicitly checking that the `t Hooft anomaly matching conditions holds. We discuss a flavour symmetry breaking phenomenon for supersymmetric quantum chromodynamics (SQCD), and by making use of the …
We study the dynamics of chiral SU(N) gauge theories. These contain Weyl fermions in the symmetric or anti-symmetric representation of the gauge group, together with further fermions in the fundamental and anti-fundamental. We revisit an old proposal of Bars and Yankielowicz who match the 't Hooft anomalies of this theory to free fermions. We show that there are novel and, in some cases, quite powerful constraints on the dynamics in the large N limit. In addition, we study these SU(N) theories with an extra Weyl fermion transforming in the adjoint representation. Here we show that all 21 't Ho…
We show that the $4d$ ${\cal N}=1$ $SU(3)$ $N_f=6$ SQCD is the model obtained when compactifying the rank one E-string theory on a three punctured sphere (a trinion) with a particular value of flux. The $SU(6)\times SU(6)\times U(1)$ global symmetry of the theory, when decomposed into the $SU(2)^3\times U(1)^3\times SU(6)$ subgroup, corresponds to the three $SU(2)$ symmetries associated to the three punctures and the $U(1)^3 \times SU(6)$ subgroup of the $E_8$ symmetry of the E-string theory. All the puncture symmetries are manifest in the UV and thus we can construct ordinary Lagrangians flow…
We extend previous work on N=2 Chern-Simons theories coupled to a single adjoint chiral superfield using localization techniques and the F-maximization principle. We provide tests of a series of proposed 3D Seiberg dualities and a new class of tests of the conjectured F-theorem. In addition, a proposal is made for a modification of the F-maximization principle that takes into account the effects of decoupling fields. Finally, we formulate and provide evidence for a new general non-perturbative constraint on spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in three dimensions based on Q-deformed S^3 partitio…
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 …
