Surface defects and elliptic quantum groups

A brane construction of an integrable lattice model is proposed. The model is composed of Belavin's R-matrix, Felder's dynamical R-matrix, the Bazhanov-Sergeev-Derkachov-Spiridonov R-operator and some intertwining operators. This construction implies that a family of surface defects act on supersymmetric indices of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 1$ supersymmetric field theories as transfer matrices related to elliptic quantum groups.Comment: 31 pages. v2: minor changes and corrections; v3: minor improvements, published versio

Poisson vertex algebras in supersymmetric field theories

A large class of supersymmetric quantum field theories, including all theories with $\mathcal{N} = 2$ supersymmetry in three dimensions and theories with $\mathcal{N} = 2$ supersymmetry in four dimensions, possess topological-holomorphic sectors. We formulate Poisson vertex algebras in such topological-holomorphic sectors and discuss some examples. For a four-dimensional $\mathcal{N} = 2$ superconformal field theory, the associated Poisson vertex algebra is the classical limit of a vertex algebra generated by a subset of local operators of the theory.Comment: 30 pages. v2: references added. v3: references added. v4: various improvements; section 3.5 on 3d N=2 SCFTs added; references added; published versio

\Omega-deformation and quantization

We formulate a deformation of Rozansky-Witten theory analogous to the $\Omega$-deformation. It is applicable when the target space $X$ is hyperk\"ahler and the spacetime is of the form $\mathbb{R} \times \Sigma$, with $\Sigma$ being a Riemann surface. In the case that $\Sigma$ is a disk, the $\Omega$-deformed Rozansky-Witten theory quantizes a symplectic submanifold of $X$, thereby providing a new perspective on quantization. As applications, we elucidate two phenomena in four-dimensional gauge theory from this point of view. One is a correspondence between the $\Omega$-deformation and quantization of integrable systems. The other concerns supersymmetric loop operators and quantization of the algebra of holomorphic functions on a hyperk\"ahler manifold.Comment: 24 pages. v2: minor changes, references added; v3: minor changes, a reference added, published versio

N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories and quantum integrable systems

We study N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on the product of a two-sphere and a cylinder. We show that the low-energy dynamics of a BPS sector of such a theory is described by a quantum integrable system, with the Planck constant set by the inverse of the radius of the sphere. If the sphere is replaced with a hemisphere, then our system reduces to an integrable system of the type studied by Nekrasov and Shatashvili. In this case we establish a correspondence between the effective prepotential of the gauge theory and the Yang-Yang function of the integrable system.Comment: 24 pages. v2: references added; v3: minor changes, published versio