Phases of supersymmetric O(N) theories

Abstract

We perform a global renormalization group study of O(N) symmetric Wess-Zumino theories and their phases in three euclidean dimensions. At infinite N the theory is solved exactly. The phases and phase transitions are worked out for finite and infinite short-distance cutoffs. A distinctive new feature arises at strong coupling, where the effective superfield potential becomes multi-valued, signalled by divergences in the fermion-boson interaction. Our findings resolve the long-standing puzzle about the occurrence of degenerate O(N) symmetric phases. At finite N, we find a strongly-coupled fixed point in the local potential approximation and explain its impact on the phase transition. We also examine the possibility for a supersymmetric Bardeen-Moshe-Bander phenomenon, and relate our findings with the spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry in other models.