Gauging non-invertible symmetries in (2+1)d topological orders
Abstract We present practical and formal methods for gauging non-invertible symmetries in (2+1)d topological quantum field theories. Along the way, we generalize various aspects of invertible 0-form gauging, including symmetry fractionalization, discrete torsion, and the fixed point theorem for symmetry action on lines. Our approach involves two complementary strands: the fusion of topological interfaces and Morita theory of fusion 2-categories. We use these methods to derive constraints on gaugeable symmetries and their duals while unifying the prescription for gauging non-invertible 0-form and 1-form symmetries and various higher structures. With a view toward recent advances in creating non-Abelian topological orders from Abelian ones, we give a simple recipe for non-invertible 0-form gauging that takes large classes of the latter to the former. We also describe conditions under which iterated gauging of invertible 0-form symmetries is equivalent to a single-step gauging of a non-invertible symmetry. We conclude with a set of concrete examples illustrating these various phenomena involving gauging symmetries of the infrared limit of the toric code.
Authors
- Clement Delcamp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2337-5772)
- Rajath Radhakrishnan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1158-3320)
- M. Balasubramanian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4251-5144)
- Matthew Buican (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8537-2759)
Institutions
- Queen Mary University of London (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical
- Published
- 2026-06-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/ae82d0
- Primary Topic
- Optics and Image Analysis
- Type
- preprint
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- International Centre for Mathematical Sciences
- Royal Society
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Division of Mathematical Sciences
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara