Exceptional Chern-Simons-Matter dualities

Abstract

We use conformal embeddings involving exceptional affine Kac-Moody algebras to derive new dualities of three-dimensional topological field theories. These generalize the familiar level-rank duality of Chern-Simons theories based on classical gauge groups to the setting of exceptional gauge groups. For instance, one duality sequence we discuss is (EN)1 ↔ SU(9−N)−1. Others such as SO(3)8 ↔ PSU(3)−6, are dualities among theories with classical gauge groups that arise due to their embedding into an exceptional chiral algebra. We apply these equivalences between topological field theories to conjecture new boson-boson Chern-Simons-matter dualities. We also use them to determine candidate phase diagrams of time-reversal invariant G2 gauge theory coupled to either an adjoint fermion, or two fundamental fermions.