While two-dimensional symmetry-enriched topological phases (𝖲𝖤𝖳s) have been studied intensively and systematically, three-dimensional ones are still open issues. We propose an algorithmic approach of imposing global symmetry Gs on gauge theories (denoted by 𝖦𝖳) with gauge group Gg. The resulting symmetric gauge theories are dubbed "symmetry-enriched gauge theories" (𝖲𝖤𝖦), which may be served as low-energy effective theories of three-dimensional symmetric topological quantum spin liquids. We focus on 𝖲𝖤𝖦s with gauge group Gg=ℤN1×ℤN2×⋯ and on-site unitary symmetry group Gs=ℤK1×ℤK2×⋯ or Gs=U(1)×ℤK1×⋯. Each 𝖲𝖤𝖦(Gg,Gs) is described in the path integral formalism associated with certain symmetry assignment. From the path-integral expression, we propose how to physically diagnose the ground state properties (i.e., 𝖲𝖤𝖳 orders) of 𝖲𝖤𝖦s in experiments of charge-loop braidings (patterns of symmetry fractionalization) and the \emph{mixed} multi-loop braidings among deconfined loop excitations and confined symmetry fluxes. From these symmetry-enriched properties, one can obtain the map from 𝖲𝖤𝖦s to 𝖲𝖤𝖳s. By giving full dynamics to background gauge fields, 𝖲𝖤𝖦s may be eventually promoted to a set of new gauge theories (denoted by 𝖦𝖳∗). Based on their gauge groups, 𝖦𝖳∗s may be further regrouped into different classes each of which is labeled by a gauge group G∗g. Finally, a web of gauge theories involving 𝖦𝖳, 𝖲𝖤𝖦, 𝖲𝖤𝖳 and 𝖦𝖳∗ is achieved. We demonstrate the above symmetry-enrichment physics and the web of gauge theories through many concrete examples.

Topological phases of matter are usually realized in deconfined phases of gauge theories. In this context, confined phases with strongly fluctuating gauge fields seem to be irrelevant to the physics of topological phases. For example, the low-energy theory of the two-dimensional (2D) toric code model (i.e. the deconfined phase of ℤ2 gauge theory) is a U(1)×U(1) Chern-Simons theory in which gauge charges (i.e., e and m particles) are deconfined and the gauge fields are gapped, while the confined phase is topologically trivial. In this paper, we point out a new route to constructing exotic 3D gapped fermionic phases in a confining phase of a gauge theory. Starting from a parton construction with strongly fluctuating compact U(1)×U(1) gauge fields, we construct gapped phases of interacting fermions by condensing two linearly independent bosonic composite particles consisting of partons and U(1)×U(1) magnetic monopoles. This can be regarded as a 3D generalization of the 2D Bais-Slingerland condensation mechanism. Charge fractionalization results from a Debye-H\"uckel-like screening cloud formed by the condensed composite particles. Within our general framework, we explore two aspects of symmetry-enriched 3D Abelian topological phases. First, we construct a new fermionic state of matter with time-reversal symmetry and Θ≠π, the fractional topological insulator. Second, we generalize the notion of anyonic symmetry of 2D Abelian topological phases to the charge-loop excitation symmetry (𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗌) of 3D Abelian topological phases. We show that line twist defects, which realize 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾𝗌 transformations, exhibit non-Abelian fusion properties.

We show that specializations of the 4d =2 superconformal index labeled by an integer N is given by TrN where  is the Kontsevich-Soibelman monodromy operator for BPS states on the Coulomb branch. We provide evidence that the states enumerated by these limits of the index lead to a family of 2d chiral algebras N. This generalizes the recent results for the N=−1 case which corresponds to the Schur limit of the superconformal index. We show that this specialization of the index leads to the same integrand as that of the elliptic genus of compactification of the superconformal theory on S2×T2 where we turn on 12N units of U(1)r flux on S2.