String confinement in 2-form lattice gauge theory

Abstract

We study the confinement between vortex strings in the dual lattice gauge theory of the abelian Higgs model. The dual lattice gauge theory is described by a 2-form gauge field. We calculate the string-antistring potential from the surface operator of the 2-form gauge field. The linear confining potential appears in a confinement phase and it disappears in a deconfinement phase. The phase diagram of the theory is also obtained.

Comments: 4 pages, 4 figures; (v2) version accepted for publication in PRD