Lattice Supersymmetry via Twisting

We describe how the usual supercharges of extended supersymmetry may be {\it twisted} to produce a BRST-like supercharge $Q$. The usual supersymmetry algebra is then replaced by a twisted algebra and the action of the twisted theory is shown to be generically $Q$-exact. In flat space the twisting procedure can be regarded as a change of variables carrying no physical significance. However, the twisted theories can often be transferred to the lattice while preserving the twisted supersymmetry. As an example we construct a lattice version of the two-dimensional supersymmetric sigma model.Comment: Contribution to Lattice2004(theory

Supersymmetric lattices

Discretization of supersymmetric theories is an old problem in lattice field theory. It has resisted solution until quite recently when new ideas drawn from orbifold constructions and topological field theory have been brought to bear on the question. The result has been the creation of a new class of lattice gauge theory in which the lattice action is invariant under one or more supersymmetries. The resultant theories are local and free of doublers and in the case of Yang-Mills theories also possess exact gauge invariance. In principle they form the basis for a truly non-perturbative definition of the continuum supersymmetric field theory. In this talk these ideas are reviewed with particular emphasis being placed on ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory.Comment: Plenary talk at the symposium Quantum Theory and Symmetries, Lexington, Kentucky, July 2009. References adde

Dirac-K\"{a}hler fermions and exact lattice supersymmetry

We discuss a new approach to putting supersymmetric theories on the lattice. The basic idea is to start from a {\it twisted} formulation of the underlying supersymmetric theory in which the fermions are represented as grassmann valued antisymmetric tensor fields. The original supersymmetry algebra is replaced by a twisted algebra which contains a scalar nilpotent supercharge $Q$. Furthermore the action of the theory can then be written as the $Q$-variation of some function. The case of ${\cal N}=2$ super Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions is discussed in some detail. We then present our proposal for discretizing this theory and derive the resultant lattice action. The latter is local, free of spectrum doubling, gauge invariant and preserves the scalar supercharge invariance exactly. Some preliminary numerical results are then presented. The approach can be naturally generalized to yield a lattice action for ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills in four dimensions.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures. Plenary talk given at Lattice 2005 Dublin July 25-30. 1 reference correcte

Twisted lattice supersymmetry and applications to AdS/CFT

I review recent approaches to constructing supersymmetric lattice theories focusing in particular on the concept of topological twisting. The latter technique is shown to expose a nilpotent, scalar supersymmetry which can be implemented exactly in the lattice theory. Using these ideas a lattice action for $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills in four dimensions can be written down which is gauge invariant, free of fermion doublers and respects one out of a total of 16 continuum supersymmetries. It is shown how these exact symmetries together with the large point group symmetry of the lattice strongly constrain the possible counterterms needed to renormalize the theory and hence determine how much residual fine tuning will be needed to restore all supersymmetries in the continuum limit. We report on progress to study these renormalization effects at one loop. We go on to give examples of applications of these supersymmetric lattice theories to explore the connections between gauge theories and gravity.Comment: 16 pages. Plenary talk at Lattice 201

Notes on (twisted) lattice supersymmetry

We describe a new approach to the problem of putting supersymmetric theories on the lattice. The basic idea is to discretize a {\it twisted} formulation of the supersymmetric theory. For certain theories with extended supersymmetry these twisted formulations contain only integer spin fields. The twisting exposes a scalar nilpotent supercharge which generates an exact lattice symmetry. We gives examples from quantum mechanics, sigma models and Yang-Mills theories.Comment: Summary of lectures given at the Summer Institute 2005 Fuji-Yoshida, Japan August 11-18, 200

On the restoration of supersymmetry in twisted two-dimensional lattice Yang-Mills theory

We study a discretization of ${\cal N}=2$ super Yang-Mills theory which possesses a single exact supersymmetry at non-zero lattice spacing. This supersymmetry arises after a reformulation of the theory in terms of {\it twisted} fields. In this paper we derive the action of the other twisted supersymmetries on the component fields and study, using Monte Carlo simulation, a series of corresponding Ward identities. Our results for SU(2) and SU(3) support a restoration of these additional supersymmetries without fine tuning in the infinite volume continuum limit. Additionally we present evidence supporting a restoration of (twisted) rotational invariance in the same limit. Finally we have examined the distribution of scalar field eigenvalues and find evidence for power law tails extending out to large eigenvalue. We argue that these tails indicate that the classical moduli space does not survive in the quantum theory.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures, 18 tables. Results section rewritten to include discussion of phase quenching, continuum scaling and thermal boundary conditions. Version to be published in JHE

Exact Lattice Supersymmetry from Topological Field Theory

We discuss the connection between supersymmetric field theories and topological field theories and show how this connection may be used to construct local lattice field theories which maintain an exact supersymmetry. It is shown how metric independence of the continuum topological field theory allows us to derive the lattice theory by blocking out of the continuum in a deformed geometry. This, in turn, allows us to prove the cut-off independence of certain supersymmetric Ward identities.Comment: Lattice2003(theory

Three dimensional lattice gravity as supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory

We argue that a certain twisted supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in three dimensions with gauge group SU(2) possesses a set of topological observables whose expectation values can be computed in a related Chern Simons theory. This Chern Simons theory has been proposed as a definition of three dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity. Since the YM theory admits a discretization which preserves the values of topological observables we conjecture that it can be used as a non-perturbative definition of the quantum gravity theory.Comment: 8 pages. Contribution to Lattice 201