\documentclass[tikz,border=10pt]{standalone} \usepackage{mathtools} \usetikzlibrary{braids} \begin{document} \begin{tikzpicture}[scale=0.4, every node/.style={scale=0.4}] \pic[ rotate=90, line width=1.5pt, braid/control factor=0, braid/nudge factor=0, braid/gap=0.11, braid/number of strands = 4, name prefix=braid, ] at (-0.25,0) {braid={ 11111 }}; \draw[dashed,draw=black, very thick, fill=white] (1-0.5,0-0.25) rectangle ++(4,3.5); \node at (2.5,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\alpha$}; \node at (6,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\ast$}; \pic[ rotate=90, line width=1.5pt, braid/control factor=0, braid/nudge factor=0, braid/gap=0.11, braid/number of strands = 4, name prefix=braid, ] at (7-0.25,0) {braid={ 11111 }}; \draw[dashed,draw=black, very thick, fill=white] (8-0.5,0-0.25) rectangle ++(4,3.5); \node at (9.5,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\beta$}; \node at (13.5,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\vcentcolon=$}; \pic[ rotate=90, line width=1.5pt, braid/control factor=0, braid/nudge factor=0, braid/gap=0.11, braid/number of strands = 4, name prefix=braid, ] at (15-0.25,0) {braid={ 111 111 }}; \draw[dashed,draw=black, very thick, fill=white] (16-0.5,0-0.25) rectangle ++(2,3.5); \node at (16.5,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\alpha$}; \draw[dashed,draw=black, very thick, fill=white] (19-0.5,0-0.25) rectangle ++(2,3.5); \node at (19.5,1.5) {\fontsize{40pt}{\baselineskip}\selectfont $\beta$}; \end{tikzpicture} \end{document}