${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric higher spin gauge theories and current multiplets in three dimensions

Abstract

We describe several families of primary linear supermultiplets coupled to three-dimensional ${\cal N}=2$ conformal supergravity and use them to construct topological $BF$-type terms. We introduce conformal higher-spin gauge superfields and associate with them Chern-Simons-type actions that are constructed as an extension of the linearised action for ${\cal N}=2$ conformal supergravity. These actions possess gauge and super-Weyl invariance in any conformally flat superspace and involve a higher-spin generalisation of the linearised ${\cal N}=2$ super-Cotton tensor. For massless higher-spin supermultiplets in (1,1) anti-de Sitter (AdS) superspace, we propose two off-shell Lagrangian gauge formulations, which are related to each other by a dually transformation. Making use of these massless theories allows us to formulate consistent higher-spin supercurrent multiplets in (1,1) AdS superspace. Explicit examples of such supercurrent multiplets are provided for models of massive chiral supermultiplets. Off-shell formulations for massive higher-spin supermultiplets in (1,1) AdS superspace are proposed.