QCD3 with Two-Index Quarks, Mirror Symmetry and Fivebrane anti-BIons near Orientifolds

TL;DR

This paper explores a non-supersymmetric brane configuration in type IIB string theory that models three-dimensional gauge theories with two-index quarks, analyzing their dualities, vacuum structure, and symmetry properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel non-supersymmetric brane setup realizing USp(2N) gauge theories with two-index antisymmetric quarks and studies their S-dual SO(2N-1) theories, including vacuum analysis and symmetry considerations.

Findings

Mirror duality between USp(2N) and SO(2N-1) theories established.

An SO(4) symmetric BIon configuration supporting unbroken global symmetry.

Discussion on dynamical flavor symmetry breaking in related QCD3 models.

Abstract

We consider a non-supersymmetric Hanany-Witten type IIB brane configuration that realises a three dimensional USp(2N) gauge theory with quarks in the two-index antisymmetric representation and SO(4) flavour symmetry. Using type IIB S-duality we find the mirror dual, an SO(2N-1) field theory with scalars in the antisymmetric representation. Analysing the magnetic dual we study the vacuum structure of the USp(2N) model and propose that the SO(4) global symmetry is unbroken. In order to support our proposal we present an SO(4) symmetric BIon configuration that describes anti-D3 branes polarising into fivebranes in the S-dual Hanany-Witten setup. We also comment on dynamical flavour symmetry breaking in other QCD3 theories with quarks in two-index representations.