1.

Homework Set 8 (SPA7031U/P)

Assigned: 1/3/18
Due: At the beginning of the ninth lecture on 8/3/18.

1. Consider 3D N = 2 (compact) SQED (SUSY QED) with Nf flavors, i.e.,

Z Nf Z
4
X
i 2V ¯i −2V 1 2 2 2 1  1 2 1 µν
LSQED = − dθ (q̄ e qi + q̃ e q̃i ) − 2 d θd θ̄Σ = 2 D − F Fµν
i=1
g g 2 4
 X
− ∂ µ σ∂µ σ + iλγ µ ∂µ λ̄ + (|Fi |2 − Dµ ρ̄i Dµ ρi + iψi γ µ Dµ ψ̄ i + |F̃i |2 − Dµ ρ̃¯i Dµ ρ̃i
i
+ iψ̃i γ Dµ ψ̃¯i − σ 2 (|ρi |2 + |ρ̃i |2 ) − D(|ρi |2 − |ρ̃i |2 ) − iσ(ψi ψ̄ i − ψ̃i ψ̃¯i
µ
√ √
− 2i(λψi ρ̄i − λψ̃i ρ̃¯i ) − 2i(λ̄ψ̄ i ρi − λ̄ψ̃¯i ρ̃i )) . (1.1)

where qi and q̃i are chiral superfields with lowest components ρi and ρ̃i respectively (q̄ i and
q̃¯i are anti-chiral superfields with lowest components ρ̄i and ρ̃¯i respectively). The U (1) field
strength superfield is
i 1
Σ = DD̄V = σ − θλ̄ + θ̄λ + θγ µ θ̄µνρ F νρ − iθθ̄D + · · · , (1.2)
2 2
with “· · · ” containing terms that are derivatives of the terms already appearing.

(a) [5 points] Find the SUSY variation of jµ = − 12 µνρ F νρ . As discussed in class, jµ is a

conserved current for a global U (1) symmetry that shifts the scalar dual to the 3D photon
by a constant.

(b) [5 points] Use the result in part (a) to argue that jµ is a current for a flavor symmetry,
i.e.
[Qα , Q̂] = [Q̄α , Q̂] = 0 , (1.3)

where Z
Q̂ = d2 xj0 . (1.4)

(c) [3 points] Specialize to Nf = 1. What is the global internal symmetry of the theory
(both flavor and R symmetry)?

2. Consider the free theory of three chiral multiplets, X, Y , and Z

Z
L = − d4 θ X̄X + Ȳ Y + Z̄Z .


(1.5)

1
(a) [3 points] What is the global internal symmetry of the theory (both flavor and R
symmetry)?

(b) [4 points] Consider deforming the theory by turning on the following superpotential
with coupling λ ∈ C
W = λXY Z . (1.6)

What is the global internal symmetry of the theory now (both flavor and R symmetry)?