Fusion categories between $C \boxtimes D$ and $C * D$

Abstract

Given a pair of fusion categories $C$ and $D$, we may form the free product $C * D$ and the tensor product $C \boxtimes D$. It is natural to think of the tensor product as a quotient of the free product. What other quotients are possible? When $C=D=A_2$, there is an infinite family of quotients interpolating between the free product and the tensor product (closely related to the $A_{2n-1}^{(1)}$ and $D_{n+2}^{(1)}$ subfactors at index 4). Bisch and Haagerup discovered one example of such an intermediate quotient when $C=A_2$ and $D=T_2$, and suggested that there might be another family here. We show that such quotients are characterized by parameters $n \geq 1$ and $\omega$ with $\omega^{2n}=1$. For $n=1,2,3$, we show $\omega$ must be 1, and construct the corresponding quotient ($n=1$ is the tensor product, $n=2$ is the example discovered by Bisch and Haagerup, and $n=3$ is new). We further show that there are no such quotients for $4 \leq n \leq 10$. Our methods also apply to the case when $C=D=T_2$, and we prove similar results there. During the preparation of this manuscript we learnt of an independent result of Liu's on subfactors. With the translation between the subfactor and fusion category settings provided here, it follows there are no such quotients for any $n \geq 4$.