Monoidal categories graded by crossed modules and 3-dimensional HQFTs

Abstract

Given a crossed module $\chi$, we introduce $\chi$-graded monoidal categories and $\chi$-fusion categories. We use spherical $\chi$-fusion categories to construct (via the state sum method) 3-dimensional Homotopy Quantum Field Theories with target the classifying space $B\chi$ of the crossed module $\chi$ (which is a homotopy 2-type).