Study of gapped phases of 4d gauge theories using temporal gauging of the $\mathbb{Z}_N$ 1-form symmetry

Abstract

To study gapped phases of $4$d gauge theories, we introduce the temporal gauging of $\mathbb{Z}_N$ $1$-form symmetry in $4$d quantum field theories (QFTs), thereby defining effective $3$d QFTs with $\widetilde{\mathbb{Z}}_N\times \mathbb{Z}_N$ $1$-form symmetry. In this way, spatial fundamental Wilson and 't Hooft loops are simultaneously genuine line operators. Assuming a mass gap and Lorentz invariant vacuum of the $4$d QFT, the $\widetilde{\mathbb{Z}}_N\times \mathbb{Z}_N$ symmetry must be spontaneously broken to an order-$N$ subgroup $H$, and we can classify the $4$d gapped phases by specifying $H$. This establishes the $1$-to-$1$ correspondence between the two classification schemes for gapped phases of $4$d gauge theories: One is the conventional Wilson-'t Hooft classification, and the other is the modern classification using the spontaneous breaking of $4$d $1$-form symmetry enriched with symmetry-protected topological states.