Symbol, Surface operators and $S$-duality

TL;DR

This paper investigates the behavior of rigid surface operators in certain supersymmetric gauge theories under $S$-duality, extending previous proposals and discovering new dual pairs.

Contribution

It refines the understanding of $S$-duality maps for surface operators in $SO(n)$ and $Sp(2n)$ theories, introducing simplifications and extending techniques to $D_n$ theories.

Findings

Recovered and extended $S$-duality maps proposed by Wyllard.

Identified new subclasses of surface operators related by $S$-duality.

Explained exceptions to the $S$-duality maps.

Abstract

We study rigid surface operators in the $N=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with gauge groups $SO(n)$ and $Sp(2n)$. Using maps $X_S$ and $Y_S$ between these two theories, Wyllard made explicit proposals for how the $S$-duality map should act on certain subclasses of surface operators. We study the maps $X_S$ and $Y_S$ further and simplify the construction of symbol invariant of rigid surface operators by a convenient trick. By consistency checks, we recover and extend the $S$-duality maps proposed by Wyllard. We find new subclasses of rigid surface operators related by $S$-duality. We try to explain the exceptions of $S$-duality maps. We also discuss the extension of the techniques used in the $B_n/C_n$ theories to the $D_n$ theories.