ModMax meets Susy

TL;DR

This paper develops a method to supersymmetrize nonlinear electrodynamics theories, applies it to the ModMax model, and demonstrates the preservation of duality and conformal invariance in the supersymmetric extension.

Contribution

It provides a general prescription for N=1 supersymmetrization of nonlinear electrodynamics, including the ModMax model, ensuring duality and conformal invariance are maintained.

Findings

Supersymmetrization preserves duality invariance.

Superconformal invariance of superModMax established.

Higher-derivative interactions are removable by superfield redefinition.

Abstract

We give a prescription for N=1 supersymmetrization of any (four-dimensional) nonlinear electrodynamics theory with a Lagrangian density satisfying a convexity condition that we relate to semi-classical unitarity. We apply it to the one-parameter ModMax extension of Maxwell electrodynamics that preserves both electromagnetic duality and conformal invariance, and its Born-Infeld-like generalization, proving that duality invariance is preserved. We also establish superconformal invariance of the superModMax theory by showing that its coupling to supergravity is super-Weyl invariant. The higher-derivative photino-field interactions that appear in any supersymmetric nonlinear electrodynamics theory are removed by an invertible nonlinear superfield redefinition.