Pinning Defect, Fusion and Factorization in Quantum Field Theory

Explore a 46-minute conference talk by Yifan Wang from NYU on "Pinning Defect, Fusion and Factorization," presented at the Generalized Symmetries: High-Energy, Condensed Matter and Mathematics KITP conference held in April 2025 at UC Santa Barbara's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. The presentation delves into the significant advancements in quantum field theory over the past decade, particularly how symmetries can be understood through topological defects acting on operator spaces. This conceptual framework has expanded traditional notions of symmetry, revealing unexpected physical phenomena across condensed matter, high energy physics, and quantum gravity. The conference brought together leading experts to share recent developments and outstanding challenges in this rapidly evolving field, coordinated by Maissam Barkeshli, Michele Del Zotto, Sakura Schafer-Nameki, and Shu-Heng Shao.