Three dimensional topological quantum field theory from $U_q(\mathfrak{gl}(1 \vert 1))$ and $U(1 \vert 1)$ Chern--Simons theory

Abstract: We introduce an unrolled quantization $U_q^E(\mathfrak{gl}(1 \vert 1))$ of the complex Lie superalgebra $\mathfrak{gl}(1 \vert 1)$ and use its categories of weight modules to construct and study new three dimensional non-semisimple topological quantum field theories. These theories are defined on categories of cobordisms which are decorated by ribbon graphs and cohomology classes and take values in categories of graded super vector spaces. Computations in these theories are enabled by a detailed study of the representation theory of $U_q^E(\mathfrak{gl}(1 \vert 1))$, both for generic and root of unity $q$. We argue that by restricting to subcategories of integral weight modules we obtain topological quantum field theories which are mathematical models of Chern--Simons theories with gauge supergroups $\mathfrak{psl}(1 \vert 1)$ and $\mathfrak{gl}(1 \vert 1)$ coupled to background flat $\mathbb{C}^{\times}$-connections, as studied in the physics literature by Rozansky--Saleur and Mikhaylov. In particular, we match Verlinde formulae and mapping class group actions on state spaces of non-generic tori with results in the physics literature. We also obtain explicit descriptions of state spaces of generic surfaces, including their graded dimensions, which go beyond results in the physics literature.