Crystallographic groups and flat manifolds from surface braid groups

Let $M$ be a compact surface without boundary, and $ngeq 2$. We analyse the quotient group $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of the surface braid group $B_{n}(M)$ by the commutator subgroup $Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of the pure braid group $P_{n}(M)$. If $M$ is different from the $2$-sphere $mathbb{S}^2$, we prove that $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ is isomorphic rho $P_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M)) rtimes_{varphi} S_n$, and that $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ is a crystallographic group if and only if $M$ is orientable. If $M$ is orientable, we prove a number of results regarding the structure of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$. We characterise the finite-order elements of this group, and we determine the conjugacy classes of these elements. We also show that there is a single conjugacy class of finite subgroups of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ isomorphic either to $S_n$ or to certain Frobenius groups. We prove that crystallographic groups whose image by the projection $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))to S_n$ is a Frobenius group are not Bieberbach groups. Finally, we construct a family of Bieberbach subgroups $tilde{G}_{n,g}$ of $B_n(M)/Gamma_2(P_n(M))$ of dimension $2ng$ and whose holonomy group is the finite cyclic group of order $n$, and if $mathcal{X}_{n,g}$ is a flat manifold whose fundamental group is $tilde{G}_{n,g}$, we prove that it is an orientable Kahler manifold that admits Anosov diffeomorphisms.