3d TQFTs from Argyres–Douglas theories

Abstract

We construct a new class of three-dimensional topological quantum field theories (3d TQFTs) by considering generalized Argyres–Douglas theories on S¹ × M₃ with a non-trivial holonomy of a discrete global symmetry along the S¹. For the minimal choice of the holonomy, the resulting 3d TQFTs are non-unitary and semisimple, thus distinguishing themselves from theories of Chern–Simons and Rozansky–Witten types respectively. Changing the holonomy performs a Galois transformation on the TQFT, which can sometimes give rise to more familiar unitary theories such as the (G₂)₁ and (F₄)₁ Chern–Simons theories. Our construction is based on an intriguing relation between topologically twisted partition functions, wild Hitchin characters, and chiral algebras which, when combined together, relate Coulomb branch and Higgs branch data of the same 4d N = 2 theory. We test our proposal by applying localization techniques to the conjectural N = 1 UV Lagrangian descriptions of the (A₁, A₂), (A₁, A₃) and (A₁, D₃) theories.