Generalized Symmetries and Fractons in Gauge Theories
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 244
Special Issue Editors
Interests: quantum field theory; BRS renormalization; topological quantum field theory; linearized gravity; modified theories of gravity; fractons
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetries have fundamental roles in physical models. Think, for instance, about their defining properties in the context of quantum field theories, or in their characterizing features for condensed matter systems. Recently a new class of symmetries, known as generalized symmetries, has attracted interest in the community, and collects those cases whose definition departs from the definition of ordinary symmetry. This generalization of the notion of symmetries can be explicitly realized in many instances exploiting Lagrangian field theory techniques, uncovering a rich and unexpected landscape of physical effects in condensed matter, high energy physics, and quantum gravity. Examples include higher-form symmetries, non-invertible symmetries, and subsystem symmetries.
A particularly relevant example is represented by a new kind of quasiparticles called “fractons”, which are characterized by restricted mobility. Thanks to their peculiar features, fracton models are becoming more and more popular in many areas of physics and mathematical physics, with applications, for instance, in the context of topological elasticity and quantum information.
This Special Issue aims to collect contributions that share insights on these topics, highlighting the wide physical spectrum involved, and unifying them through the “fil rouge” of generalized symmetries.
Dr. Nicola Maggiore
Dr. Erica Bertolini
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- symmetries
- anomalies
- quantum field theory
- string theory
- fractons
- spontaneous symmetry breaking
- low-energy effective field theory
- quantum phases of matter
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