$SU_q(2)$ Lattice Gauge Theory

Abstract

We reformulate the Hamiltonian approach to lattice gauge theories such that, at the classical level, the gauge group does not act canonically, but instead as a Poisson-Lie group. At the quantum level, it then gets promoted to a quantum group gauge symmetry. The theory depends on two parameters - the deformation parameter $\lambda$ and the lattice spacing $a$. We show that the system of Kogut and Susskind is recovered when $\lambda \rightarrow 0$, while QCD is recovered in the continuum limit (for any $\lambda$). We thus have the possibility of having a two parameter regularization of QCD.