Gaillard-Zumino non-invertible symmetries
Abstract
A bstract We uncover an infinite class of novel zero-form non-invertible symmetries in a broad family of four-dimensional models, studied years ago by Gaillard and Zumino (GZ), which includes several extended supergravities as particular subcases. The GZ models consist of abelian gauge fields coupled to a neutral sector, typically including a set of scalars, whose equations of motion are classically invariant under a continuous group $$ \mathcal{G} $$ G acting on the electric and magnetic field strengths via symplectic transformations. The standard lore holds that, at the quantum level, these symmetries are broken to an integral subgroup $$ {\mathcal{G}}_{\mathbb{Z}} $$ G ℤ . We show that, in fact, a much larger subgroup $$ {\mathcal{G}}_{\mathbb{Q}} $$ G ℚ survives, albeit through non-invertible topological defects. We explicitly construct these defects and compute some of their fusion rules. As illustrative examples, we consider the axion-dilaton-Maxwell model and the bosonic sector of a class of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 supergravities of the kind that appear in type II Calabi-Yau compactifications. Finally, we comment on how (part of) these non-invertible zero-form symmetries can be broken by gauging the $$ {\mathcal{G}}_{\mathbb{Z}} $$ G ℤ subgroup of invertible symmetries.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories
Quantum Mechanics and Non-Hermitian Physics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of High Energy Physics
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 2026
- Issue
- 6
- Publication date
- 23 June 2026
- Language
- EN