Decomposing Quantum Field Theories

Abstract

Motivated by the question of exploring the "theory space" of quantum field theories, we review the concept of "decomposing" and "gluing" quantum field theories. We explain this in the context of three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric domain walls inside four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories, where the latter arise from the 6d $(2,0)$ theory compactified on Riemann surfaces. We find that $S^3$ partition functions of the three-dimensional theories can be interpreted as partition functions of a three-dimensional topological quantum field theory.