Non-Invertible Interfaces Between Symmetry-Enriched Critical Phases

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nature of interfaces between gapless quantum phases with symmetries, revealing that such interfaces are inherently non-invertible and can host various phases, thus providing a new perspective on symmetry-enriched criticality.

Contribution

It introduces a classification of symmetry-preserving interfaces between 1+1d conformal field theories, showing they are non-invertible and related to symmetry-enriched critical phases.

Findings

Interfaces between different CFTs are non-invertible defects.

Classification of conformal interfaces for Ising CFTs with symmetries.

Interfaces can host symmetry-breaking phases with specific finite-size scaling.

Abstract

Gapless quantum phases can become distinct when internal symmetries are enforced, in analogy with gapped symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. However, this distinction does not always lead to protected edge modes, raising the question of how the bulk-boundary correspondence is generalized to gapless cases. We propose that the spatial interface between gapless phases -- rather than their boundaries -- provides a more robust fingerprint. We show that whenever two 1+1d conformal field theories (CFTs) differ in symmetry charge assignments of local operators or twisted sectors, any symmetry-preserving spatial interface between the theories must flow to a non-invertible defect. We illustrate this general result for different versions of the Ising CFT with $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2^T$ symmetry, obtaining a complete classification of allowed conformal interfaces. When the Ising CFTs differ by nonlocal operator charges, the interface hosts 0+1d symmetry-breaking phases with finite-size splittings scaling as $1/L^3$, as well as continuous phase transitions between them. For general gapless phases differing by an SPT entangler, the interfaces between them can be mapped to conformal defects with a certain defect 't Hooft anomaly. This classification also gives implications for higher-dimensional examples, including symmetry-enriched variants of the 2+1d Ising CFT. Our results establish a physical indicator for symmetry-enriched criticality through symmetry-protected interfaces, giving a new handle on the interplay between topology and gapless phases.