Deconfinement on axion domain walls

Abstract

We study $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories with Dirac fermions in representations $\mathcal{R}$ of nonzero $N$-ality, coupled to axions. These theories have an exact discrete chiral symmetry, which has a mixed 't Hooft anomaly with general baryon-color-flavor backgrounds, called the "BCF anomaly" in arXiv:1909.09027. The infrared theory also has an emergent ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N_c}^{(1)}$ $1$-form center symmetry. We show that the BCF anomaly is matched in the infrared by axion domain walls. We argue that ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N_c}^{(1)}$ is spontaneously broken on axion domain walls, so that nonzero $N$-ality Wilson loops obey the perimeter law and probe quarks are deconfined on the walls. We give further support to our conclusion by using a calculable small-circle compactification to study the multi-scale structure of the axion domain walls and the microscopic physics of deconfinement on their worldvolume.

Comments: 19 pages; references added, minor corrections, matches the published version