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In recent years, Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) constructed from F-theory have been extensively studied due to the substantial scope for model building and phenomenology which they provide. This thesis will motivate and introduce the basic tools required for model building in the setting of local F-theory. Starting with GUT groups of E6, SO(10) and SU(5), a group theoretic dictionary between the three types of theory is formulated, which provides considerable insight into how to build a realistic model. The spectral cover formalism is then applied to each case, enabling the possible low energy spectra after flux breaking of the GUT group to be found. Using these results an E6 based model is constructed that demonstrates, for the first time, that it is possible to construct a phenomenologically viable model which leads to the MSSM at low energies. In addition to the MSSM model, the E6 starting point is also used to build F-theory models in which the low energy supersymmetric theory contains the particle content of three 27 dimensional representations of the underlying E6 gauge group, with the possibility of a gauged U(1) group surviving down to the TeV scale. The models with TeV scale exotics initially appear to be inconsistent due to a splitting of the gauge couplings at the unification scale which is too large, and incompatible with the formalism. However, in E6 models with flux breaking, there are bulk exotics coming from the 78 dimensional adjoint representation which are always present in the spectrum, and it turns out that a set of these exotics provide a natural way to achieve gauge coupling unification at the one-loop level, even for models with TeV exotics. This motivates a detailed study of bulk exotics, where specific topological formulae determining the multiplicities of bulk states are investigated, and the constraints imposed by these relations applied to the spectra of the models previously studied. In particular, bulk exotics are relevant to the almost miraculous restoration of gauge coupling unification in the case of the models with TeV scale exotics. The consistent local F-theory models with low energy exotics have distinctive characteristics when compared with other, similar models, and so provide potential opportunities to be tested at the LHC.

Dans cette thèse, notre étude porte sur les défauts topologiques en cosmologie et en physique de la matière condensée. Nous proposons d’étudier l’analogie entre les défauts qui apparaissent dans ces domaines. Par exemple, nous discutons l’analogie entre les cordes cosmiques et les disinclinaisons présentes dans les cristaux liquides. Cependant, nous concentrons nos efforts sur l’étude de la gravité et des aspects géométriques des défauts linéaires; cordes cosmiques «ondulées» et les disinclinaisons hyperboliques. Le champ gravitationnel des cordes ondulées est analogue à celui des cordes régulières mais avec un potentiel newtonien non nul. Pour cette raison, outre le fait que l’espace-temps a une géométrie conique, les cordes produisent également une traction gravitationnelle sur les objets situés dans leur voisinage. Ceci a pour conséquence: l’apparition de nouveaux effets en plus de la lentille gravitationnelle. En réalité, nous constatons que les champs massiques et non-massiques sont confinés au voisinage de la corde quand nous examinons la propagation non perpendiculaire à son axe. Cette affirmation est basée sur l’analyse des trajectoires et l’application du formalisme ondulatoire. Enfin, nous proposons la conception d’un guide d’onde optique ayant l’indice de réfraction spécifique permettant de simuler l’effet des cordes ondulées en laboratoire. Bien que la disinclinaison hyperbolique soit très similaire à la disinclinaison ordinaire, le milieu résultant est un métamatériau anisotrope dans lequel le rapport entre les permittivités ordinaire et extraordinaire est négatif. En fait, notre analyse concernant la disinclinaison hyperbolique étant très proche de la précédente pour la corde ondulée, nous appliquons alors le formalisme ondulatoire avec des traitements d’optique géométrique pour comprendre la propagation de la lumière. Nous trouvons que pour un agencement spécifique du champ directeur du cristal liquide hyperbolique, la lumière est confinée et dirigée vers l’axe du métamatériau. Plus précisément, on obtient un dispositif optique qui concentre les rayons de lumière, quelles que soient les conditions d’injection / In this thesis, we study topological defects in cosmology and condensed matter physics. We propose to investigate the analogy between defects that appear in these two realms with respect to aspects of formation and gravity. For instance, we discuss the analogy between cosmic strings and disclinations existing in liquid crystals. In particular, we concentrate our efforts on the study of gravity/geometric aspects of two linear defects: wiggly cosmic string and hyperbolic disclination. The gravitational field of wiggly strings is analogous to the one of regular strings, but with a non-vanishing Newtonian potential. For that reason, besides the spacetime has conical geometry, the string also produces gravitational pullings on objects located in its vicinity. This new fact leads to new effects in addition to the already expected gravitational lensing. In fact, we find that both massive and massless fields are confined to the string when we examine non-perpendicular propagation to the string axis. This statement is based on the analysis of trajectories and by applying the wave formalism. Finally, we propose the design of an optical waveguide having the specific refractive index likely to simulate the effects of wiggly strings in the laboratory. Even though the hyperbolic disclination is very similar to the ordinary one, the resulting medium is an anisotropic metamaterial, in which the ratio between ordinary and extraordinary permittivities is negative. In fact, as our analysis concerning the hyperbolic medium is very close to the previous one for the wiggly string, we also apply the wave formalism together with geometrical optics treatment to understand how light propagates. Interestingly, we find that for one specific director field arrangement of the hyperbolic liquid crystal metamaterial, light is confined and directed to the metamaterial axis. More specifically, we come into possession of an optical device that concentrates light rays, no matter how they are injected in it

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία πραγματοποιήθηκε στο τμήμα Σωματιδιακής Φυσικής του Πανεπιστημίου Santiago de Compostela της Ισπανίας και αποτελεί τη μελέτη της υπερσυμμετρίας στις τρεις χωροχρονικές διαστάσεις. Έμφαση δίνεται σε θεωρίες που περιέχουν τον όρο Chern-Simons που παιζεί συμαντικό ρόλο στους τομείς έρευνας της θεωρητικής φυσικής. Αρχικά, εισάγουμε τις εισαγωγικές ένοιες της υπερσυμμετρίας στις τρεις διαστάσεις και ακολούθως μελέτουμε την Ν=1 ελάχιστη θεωρία με διάφορες φυσικές ποσότες που περιέχουν τον όρο Chern-Simons. Στην συνέχεια, μελετάμε τις ABJM θεωρίες και αποδεικνύουμε ότι είναι αναλλοίωτες κάτω από μετασχηματισμούς βαθμίδας. Τέλος υπολογίζουμε τις κβαντικές διορθώσεις στην διαταρακτική θεωρία Chern-Simons. / The present thesis took part in Department of Particle Physics of University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and is the study of supersymmetry in three spacetime dimensions. Emphasis is given to theories containing the Chern-Simons term that plays an important role in the research areas of theoretical physics. First, we introduce the notion of supersymmetry in three dimensions and then we study the N = 1 minimal theory with various physical quantitative containing the term Chern-Simons. Then, we study the ABJM theories and prove that they are invariant under gauge transformations. Finally we calculate the quantum corrections to the perturbative Chern-Simons theory.