Non-local charges from perturbed defects via SymTFT in 2d CFT

Abstract

We investigate non-local conserved charges in perturbed two-dimensional conformal field theories from the point of view of the 3d SymTFT of the unperturbed theory. In the SymTFT we state a simple commutation condition which results in a pair of compatible bulk and defect perturbations, such that the perturbed line defects are conserved in the perturbed CFT. In other words, the perturbed defects are rigidly translation invariant, and such defects form a monoidal category which extends the topological symmetries. As examples we study the A-type Virasoro minimal models $M(p,q)$. Our formalism provides one-parameter families of commuting non-local conserved charges for perturbations by a primary bulk field with Kac label $(1,2)$, $(1,3)$, or $(1,5)$, which are the standard integrable perturbations of minimal models. We find solutions to the commutation condition also for other bulk perturbations, such as $(1,7)$, and we contrast this with the existence of local conserved charges. There has been recent interest in the possibility that in certain cases perturbations by fields such as $(1,7)$ can be integrable, and our construction provides a new way in which integrability can be found without the need for local conserved charges.