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1. Verfasser: Furukawa, Yuki
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.07293
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author Furukawa, Yuki
author_facet Furukawa, Yuki
contents In this work, we study exotic theta terms in the 2+1d $ϕ$-theory, which provides a continuum description of the XY-plaquette model. The $ϕ$-theory can be viewed as a fractonic analogue of the 1+1d compact boson and exhibits momentum and winding subsystem symmetries. In this theory, discontinuous field configurations play a crucial role. Although such configurations spoil the naive topology of the field, they induce nontrivial backreactions that give rise to new topological terms. We study two types of theta terms, which we call the bulk theta term and the foliated theta term. The foliated theta term is constructed by coupling winding currents on neighboring leaves of a foliation. Remarkably, the corresponding theta angle can vary spatially without affecting the classical equations of motion. Both theta terms lead to generalized Witten effects, in which vortex operators carrying winding subsystem charge acquire momentum subsystem charge. In the case of the foliated theta angle, the Witten effect exhibits a more intricate structure: vortex operators acquire a quadrupolar momentum charge. We demonstrate these features using lattice realizations based on the modified Villain formulation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_07293
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic field theory
Furukawa, Yuki
High Energy Physics - Theory
Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Lattice
In this work, we study exotic theta terms in the 2+1d $ϕ$-theory, which provides a continuum description of the XY-plaquette model. The $ϕ$-theory can be viewed as a fractonic analogue of the 1+1d compact boson and exhibits momentum and winding subsystem symmetries. In this theory, discontinuous field configurations play a crucial role. Although such configurations spoil the naive topology of the field, they induce nontrivial backreactions that give rise to new topological terms. We study two types of theta terms, which we call the bulk theta term and the foliated theta term. The foliated theta term is constructed by coupling winding currents on neighboring leaves of a foliation. Remarkably, the corresponding theta angle can vary spatially without affecting the classical equations of motion. Both theta terms lead to generalized Witten effects, in which vortex operators carrying winding subsystem charge acquire momentum subsystem charge. In the case of the foliated theta angle, the Witten effect exhibits a more intricate structure: vortex operators acquire a quadrupolar momentum charge. We demonstrate these features using lattice realizations based on the modified Villain formulation.
title Exotic theta terms in 2+1d fractonic field theory
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Lattice
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.07293