Global Dipole Symmetry, Compact Lifshitz Theory, Tensor Gauge Theory, and Fractons

TL;DR

This paper explores the intricate structure of dipole symmetries and tensor gauge theories, revealing how different continuum limits and lattice configurations influence the properties and mobility of fractons and related defects.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of global and gauge dipole symmetries, including lattice constructions, continuum limits, and the concept of time-like global symmetries affecting defect mobility.

Findings

Continuum limits of 1+1d theories are non-unique.

Lattice size affects physical observables like ground state degeneracy.

Time-like global symmetries explain defect mobility restrictions.

Abstract

We study field theories with global dipole symmetries and gauge dipole symmetries. The famous Lifshitz theory is an example of a theory with a global dipole symmetry. We study in detail its 1+1d version with a compact field. When this global symmetry is promoted to a $U(1)$ dipole gauge symmetry, the corresponding gauge field is a tensor gauge field. This theory is known to lead to fractons. In order to resolve various subtleties in the precise meaning of these global or gauge symmetries, we place these 1+1d theories on a lattice and then take the continuum limit. Interestingly, the continuum limit is not unique. Different limits lead to different continuum theories, whose operators, defects, global symmetries, etc. are different. We also consider a lattice gauge theory with a $\mathbb Z_N$ dipole gauge group. Surprisingly, several physical observables, such as the ground state degeneracy and the mobility of defects depend sensitively on the number of sites in the lattice. Our analysis forces us to think carefully about global symmetries that do not act on the standard Hilbert space of the theory, but only on the Hilbert space in the presence of defects. We refer to them as time-like global symmetries and discuss them in detail. These time-like global symmetries allow us to phrase the mobility restrictions of defects (including those of fractons) as a consequence of a global symmetry.