On the duality of three-dimensional superfield theories

Abstract

Within the superfield approach, we consider the duality between the supersymmetric Maxwell-Chern-Simons and self-dual theories in three spacetime dimensions. Using a gauge embedding method, we construct the dual theory to the self-dual model interacting with a matter superfield, which turns out to be not the Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory coupled to matter, but a more complicated model, with a ``restricted'' gauge invariance. We stress the difficulties in dualizing the self-dual field coupled to matter into a theory with complete gauge invariance. After that, we show that the duality, achieved between these two models at the tree level, also holds up to the lowest order quantum corrections.