Intuitive

We like to point out that the string-net unification of gauge bosons and fermions is very different from the superstring theory for gauge bosons and fermions. In the string-net theory, gauge bosons and fermions come from the qubits that form the space, and “string-net” is simply the name that describe how qubits are organized in the ground state. So string-net is not a thing, but a pattern of qubits. In the string-net theory, the gauge bosons are waves of collective fluctuations of the string-nets, and a fermion corresponds to one end of string. In contrast, gauge bosons and fermions come from strings in the superstring theory. Both gauge bosons and fermions correspond to small pieces of strings. Different vibrations of the small pieces of strings give rise to different kind of particles. The fermions in the superstring theory are put in by hand through the introduction of Grassmann fields. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1709.03824.pdf

Concrete

A nice summary of papers, together with short comments can be found here:

• http://dao.mit.edu/~wen/pub/cosmos.html

A good textbook on String-Net-Unification is

• Quantum Field Theory of Many‑Body Systems by Xiao-Gang Wen

Abstract

Why is it interesting?

String-net unification is a proposed theory of everything. It's unique selling point is that in this framework fermions, gauge bosons and gauge symmetry itself are only emergent properties of an underlying "string-net condensate".