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Fractonic Matter in Symmetry-Enriched U(1) Gauge Theory (1809.10275v2)
Published 27 Sep 2018 in cond-mat.str-el, hep-th, and quant-ph
Abstract: In this work we explore the interplay between global symmetry and the mobility of quasiparticle excitations. We show that fractonic matter naturally appears in a three dimensional U(1) gauge theory, enriched by global U(1) and translational symmetries, via the mechanism of anyonic spin-orbital coupling. We develop a systematic understanding of such symmetry-enforced mobility restrictions in terms of the classification of U(1) gauge theories enriched by U(1) and translational symmetries. We provide a unified construction of these phases by gauging layered symmetry-protected topological phases.