We propose an exactly solvable lattice Hamiltonian model of topological phases in 3+1 dimensions, based on a generic finite group G and a 4-cocycle ω over G. We show that our model has topologically protected degenerate ground states and obtain the formula of its ground state degeneracy on the 3-torus. In particular, the ground state spectrum implies the existence of purely three-dimensional looplike quasi-excitations specified by two nontrivial flux indices and one charge index. We also construct other nontrivial topological observables of the model, namely the SL(3,Z) generators as the modular S and T matrices of the ground states, which yield a set of topological quantum numbers classified by ω and quantities derived from ω. Our model fulfills a Hamiltonian extension of the 3+1-dimensional Dijkgraaf-Witten topological gauge theory with a gauge group G. This work is presented to be accessible for a wide range of physicists and mathematicians.

Quantum-disordering a discrete-symmetry breaking state by condensing domain-walls can lead to a trivial symmetric insulator state. In this work, we show that if we bind a 1D representation of the symmetry (such as a charge) to the intersection point of several domain walls, condensing such modified domain-walls can lead to a non-trivial symmetry-protected topological (SPT) state. This result is obtained by showing that the modified domain-wall condensed state has a non-trivial SPT invariant -- the symmetry-twist dependent partition function. We propose two different kinds of field theories that can describe the above mentioned SPT states. The first one is a Ginzburg-Landau-type non-linear sigma model theory, but with an additional multi-kink domain-wall topological term. Such theory has an anomalous Uk(1) symmetry but an anomaly-free ZkN symmetry. The second one is a gauge theory, which is beyond Abelian Chern-Simons/BF gauge theories. We argue that the two field theories are equivalent at low energies. After coupling to the symmetry twists, both theories produce the desired SPT invariant.

Symmetry-Protected Topological (SPT) phases are gapped phases of quantum matter protected by global symmetries that cannot be adiabatically deformed to a trivial phase without breaking symmetry. In this work, we show that, for several SPT phases that are short range entangled (SRE), enlarging symmetries may effectively achieve the consequences of explicitly breaking symmetries. In other words, we demonstrate that non-trivial SPT phases can be unwound to trivial ones by symmetry extension- through a path where the Hilbert space is enlarged and the Hamiltonian is invariant under an extended symmetry group applying the idea of Wang, Wen and Witten in arXiv:1705.06728. We show examples of both bosonic and fermionic SPT phases in 1+1 dimensions, including Haldane's bosonic spin chain and layers of Kitaev's fermionic Majorana chains. By adding degrees of freedom into the boundary/bulk, we can lift the zero mode degeneracy, or unwind the whole system. Furthermore, based on properties of Schur cover, we sketch a general picture of unwinding applicable to any 1+1 D bosonic SPT phase protected by on-site finite symmetry. Altogether we show that SRE states can be unwound by symmetry breaking, inversion and symmetry extension.

Recent work explores the candidate phases of the 4d adjoint quantum chromodynamics (QCD$_4$) with an SU(2) gauge group and two massless adjoint Weyl fermions. Both Cordova-Dumitrescu and Bi-Senthil propose possible low energy 4d topological quantum field theories (TQFTs) to saturate the higher 't Hooft anomalies of adjoint QCD$_4$ under a renormalization-group (RG) flow from high energy. In this work, we generalize the symmetry-extension method [arXiv:1705.06728] to higher symmetries, and formulate higher group cohomology and cobordism theory approach to construct higher-symmetric TQFTs. We prove that the symmetry-extension method saturates certain anomalies, but also prove that neither $A \mathcal{P}_2(B_2)$ nor $\mathcal{P}_2(B_2)$ can be fully trivialized, with the background 1-form field $A$, Pontryagin square $\mathcal{P}_2$ and 2-form field $B_2$. Surprisingly, this indicates an obstruction to constructing a fully 1-form center and 0-form chiral symmetry (full discrete axial symmetry) preserving 4d TQFT with confinement, a no-go scenario via symmetry-extension for specific higher anomalies. We comment on the implications and constraints on deconfined quantum critical points (dQCP), quantum spin liquids (QSL) or quantum fermionic liquids in condensed matter, and ultraviolet-infrared (UV-IR) duality in 3+1 spacetime dimensions.

We explore various 4d Yang-Mills gauge theories (YM) living as boundary conditions of 5d gapped short/long-range entangled (SRE/LRE) topological states. Specifically, we explore 4d time-reversal symmetric pure YM of an SU(2) gauge group with a second-Chern-class topological term at θ=π (SU(2)θ=π YM). Its higher 't Hooft anomalies of generalized global symmetries indicate that the 4d SU(2)θ=π YM, in order to realize all global symmetries locally, necessarily couples to a 5d higher symmetry-protected topological state (SPTs, as an invertible TQFT, or as a 5d 1-form-center-symmetry-protected interacting "topological superconductor" in condensed matter). We revisit the 4d SU(2)θ=π YM-5d SRE-higher-SPTs coupled systems in [arXiv:1812.11968] and find their "Fantastic Four Siblings" with four sets of new higher anomalies associated with the Kramers singlet/doublet and bosonic/fermionic properties of Wilson lines. Following Weyl's gauge principle, by dynamically gauging the 1-form center symmetry, we transform a 5d bulk SRE SPTs into an LRE symmetry-enriched topologically ordered state (SETs); thus we obtain the 4d SO(3)θ=π YM-5d LRE-higher-SETs coupled system with dynamical higher-form gauge fields. Apply the tool introduced in [arXiv:1612.09298], we derive new exotic anyonic statistics of extended objects such as 2-worldsheet of strings and 3-worldvolume of branes, which physically characterize the 5d SETs. We discover new triple and quadruple link invariants potentially associated with the underlying 5d higher-gauge TQFTs, hinting a new intrinsic relation between non-supersymmetric 4d pure YM and topological links in 5d. We provide lattice simplicial complex regularizations and "condensed matter" realizations.