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Line operators in the gauged two-Higgs-doublet model

Rui Yang1, Jiaming Guo1,2,3, Linghai Li4, Xun Xue2,1,3,4,*, and Tzu-Chiang Yuan5,†

  • *Contact author: xxue@phy.ecnu.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: tcyuan@phys.sinica.edu.tw
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Phys. Rev. D 111, 115018 – Published 17 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1bpy-p2cw

Abstract

We investigate the global structure of the gauged two-higgs-doublet model (G2HDM), a framework that extends the Standard Model by introducing a dark sector governed by the gauge symmetry U(1)X×SU(2)H. The full gauge symmetry of the theory, including the visible sector, is given by the universal covering group G˜=U(1)Y×SU(2)L×SU(3)C×U(1)X×SU(2)H. However, the true gauge group may instead be a quotient G=G˜/Γ, where Γ is the center of G˜ or a subgroup thereof, leading to different global structures that cannot be distinguished by local experiments. We explore the physical implications of these global structures, analyzing their effects on Wilson, ’t Hooft, and dyonic line operators, as well as the periodicity of the CP-violating θ angles associated with each group factor. Furthermore, we determine the minimal electric and magnetic charges that arise after electroweak symmetry breaking, highlighting their dependence on the choice of Γ. These findings provide a systematic characterization of the G2HDM’s global properties and their potential phenomenological consequences.

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Phys. Rev. D 111, 115018– Published 17 June, 2025
  • Received 24 March 2025
  • Accepted 20 May 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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