Phases of $$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$ theories in 2 + 1 dimensions

Abstract

Abstract We study the dynamics of 2+1 dimensional theories with $$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$ N = 1 supersymmetry. In these theories the supersymmetric ground states behave discontinuously at codimension one walls in the space of couplings, with new vacua coming in from infinity in field space. We show that the dynamics near these walls is calculable: the two-loop effective potential yields exact results about the ground states near the walls. Far away from the walls the ground states can be inferred by decoupling arguments. In this way, we are able to follow the ground states of $$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$ N = 1 theories in 2+1 dimensions and construct the infrared phases of these theories. We study two examples in detail: Adjoint SQCD and SQCD with one fundamental quark. In Adjoint QCD we show that for sufficiently small Chern-Simons level the theory has a non-perturbative metastable supersymmetry-breaking ground state. We also briefly discuss the critical points of this theory. For SQCD with one quark we establish an infrared duality between a U(N) gauge theory and an SU(N) gauge theory. The duality crucially involves the vacua that appear from infinity near the walls.