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Physical review / D 106(6), 066003 (2022). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.106.066003, The center-flavor symmetry of a gauge theory specifies the global form of consistent gauge and flavor bundle background field configurations. For 6D gauge theories which arise from a tensor branch deformation of a superconformal field theory (SCFT), we determine the global structure of such background field configurations, including possible continuous Abelian symmetry and R-symmetry bundles. Proceeding to the conformal fixed point, this provides a prescription for reading off the global form of the continuous factors of the zero-form symmetry, including possible nontrivial mixing between flavor and R-symmetry. As an application, we show that this global structure leads to a large class of 4D $\mathcal{N}$=2 SCFTs obtained by compactifying on a $T^2$ in the presence of a topologically nontrivial flat flavor bundle characterized by an ’t Hooft magnetic flux. The resulting “Stiefel-Whitney twisted” compactifications realize several new infinite families of 4D $\mathcal{N}$=2 SCFTs, and also furnish a 6D origin for a number of recently discovered rank one and two 4D $\mathcal{N}$=2 SCFTs., Published by Inst., Melville, NY

Many CFT problems, e.g. ones with global symmetries, have correlation functions with a crossing antisymmetric sector. We show that such a crossing antisymmetric function can be expanded in terms of manifestly crossing antisymmetric objects, which we call the ‘+ type Polyakov blocks’. These blocks are built from AdS$_{d+1}$ Witten diagrams. In 1d they encode the ‘+ type’ analytic functionals which act on crossing antisymmetric functions. In general d we establish this Witten diagram basis from a crossing antisymmetric dispersion relation in Mellin space. Analogous to the crossing symmetric case, the dispersion relation imposes a set of independent ‘locality constraints’ in addition to the usual CFT sum rules given by the ‘Polyakov conditions’. We use the Polyakov blocks to simplify more general analytic functionals in d > 1 and global symmetry functionals.

Physical review / D 105(12), 126006 (2022). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.105.126006, We study a rich set of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with both central charges identical: $a = c$. We construct them via the diagonal $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauging of the flavor symmetry $G$ of a collection of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Argyres--Douglas theories of type $\mathcal{D}_p(G)$, with or without additional adjoint chiral multiplets. In this way, we construct infinitely-many theories that flow to interacting SCFTs with $a = c$ in the infrared. Finally, we briefly highlight the features of the SCFTs without $a = c$ that arise from generalizing this construction., Published by Inst., Melville, NY

Physical review / D 105(4), 046006 (2022). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.105.046006, We use the numerical conformal bootstrap to study six-dimensional N=(1,0) superconformal field theories with flavor symmetry so4k. We present evidence that minimal (Dk,Dk) conformal matter saturates the unitarity bounds for arbitrary k. Furthermore, using the extremal-functional method, we check that the chiral-ring relations are correctly reproduced, extract the anomalous dimensions of low-lying long superconformal multiplets, and find hints for novel operator product expansion selection rules involving type-B multiplets., Published by Inst., Melville, NY

We study a rich set of four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with both central charges identical: $a = c$. We construct them via the diagonal $\mathcal{N}=1$ gauging of the flavor symmetry $G$ of a collection of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Argyres--Douglas theories of type $\mathcal{D}_p(G)$, with or without additional adjoint chiral multiplets. In this way, we construct infinitely-many theories that flow to interacting SCFTs with $a = c$ in the infrared. Finally, we briefly highlight the features of the SCFTs without $a = c$ that arise from generalizing this construction.

SISSA 1-54 (2020). doi:10.1007/JHEP02(2021)068, At finite density, the spontaneous breakdown of an internal non-Abelian symmetry dictates, along with gapless modes, modes whose gap is fixed by the algebra and proportional to the chemical potential: the gapped Goldstones. Generically the gap of these states is comparable to that of other non-universal excitations or to the energy scale where the dynamics is strongly coupled. This makes it non-straightforward to derive a universal effective field theory (EFT) description realizing all the symmetries. Focusing on the illustrative example of a fully broken SU(2) group, we demonstrate that such an EFT can be constructed by carving out around the Goldstones, gapless and gapped, at small 3-momentum. The rules governing the EFT, where the gapless Goldstones are soft while the gapped ones are slow, are those of standard nonrelativistic EFTs, like for instance nonrelativistic QED. In particular, the EFT Lagrangian formally preserves gapped Goldstone number, and processes where such number is not conserved are described inclusively by allowing for imaginary parts in the Wilson coefficients. Thus, while the symmetry is manifestly realized in the EFT, unitarity is not. We comment on the application of our construction to the study of the large charge sector of conformal field theories with non-Abelian symmetries., Published by SISSA

Journal of high energy physics 01(1), 175 (2021). doi:10.1007/JHEP01(2021)175, We apply the numerical conformal bootstrap to correlators of Coulomb and Higgs branch operators in 4d$ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 superconformal theories. We start by revisiting previous results on single correlators of Coulomb branch operators. In particular, we present improved bounds on OPE coefficients for some selected Argyres-Douglas models, and compare them to recent work where the same cofficients were obtained in the limit of large r charge. There is solid agreement between all the approaches. The improved bounds can be used to extract an approximate spectrum of the Argyres-Douglas models, which can then be used as a guide in order to corner these theories to numerical islands in the space of conformal dimensions. When there is a flavor symmetry present, we complement the analysis by including mixed correlators of Coulomb branch operators and the moment map, a Higgs branch operator which sits in the same multiplet as the flavor current. After calculating the relevant superconformal blocks we apply the numerical machinery to the mixed system. We put general constraints on CFT data appearing in the new channels, with particular emphasis on the simplest Argyres-Douglas model with non-trivial flavor symmetry., Published by SISSA, [Trieste]

We apply the conformal bootstrap technique to study the $U(1)$ Dirac spin liquid (i.e. $N_f=4$ QED$_3$) and the newly proposed $N=7$ Stiefel liquid (i.e. a conjectured 3d non-Lagrangian CFT without supersymmetry). For the $N_f=4$ QED$_3$, we focus on the monopole operator and ($SU(4)$ adjoint) fermion bilinear operator. We bootstrap their single correlators as well as the mixed correlators between them. We first discuss the bootstrap kinks from single correlators. Some exponents of these bootstrap kinks are close to the expected values of QED$_3$, but we provide clear evidence that they should not be identified as the QED$_3$. We then provide rigorous numerical bounds for the Dirac spin liquid and the $N=7$ Stiefel liquid to be stable critical phases on the triangular and kagome lattice. For the triangular and kagome Dirac spin liquid, the rigorous lower bounds of the monopole operator's scaling dimension are $1.046$ and $1.105$, respectively. These bounds are consistent with the latest Monte Carlo results.

We study two-point functions of single-trace half-BPS operators in the presence of a supersymmetric Wilson line in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. We use inversion formula technology in order to reconstruct the CFT data starting from a single discontinuity of the correlator. In the planar strong coupling limit only a finite number of conformal blocks contributes to the discontinuity, which allows us to obtain elegant closed-form expressions for two-point functions of single-trace operators $\mathcal{O}_J$ of weight $J=2,3,4$. Our final result passes a number of non-trivial consistency checks: it has the correct discontinuity, it satisfies the superconformal Ward identities, it has a sensible expansion in both defect and bulk OPEs, and is consistent with available results coming from localization. The method is completely algorithmic and can be implemented to calculate correlators of arbitrary weight.

We use the numerical conformal bootstrap to study six-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ superconformal field theories with flavor symmetry $\mathfrak{so}_{4k}$. We present evidence that minimal $(D_k, D_k)$ conformal matter saturates the unitarity bounds for arbitrary $k$. Furthermore, using the extremal-functional method, we check that the chiral-ring relations are correctly reproduced, extract the anomalous dimensions of low-lying long superconformal multiplets, and find hints for novel OPE selection rules involving type-$\mathcal{B}$ multiplets.

Journal of high energy physics 10(10), 147 (2020). doi:10.1007/JHEP10(2020)147, Crossing symmetry provides a powerful tool to access the non-perturbative dynamics of conformal and superconformal field theories. Here we develop the mathematical formalism that allows to construct the crossing equations for arbitrary four-point functions in theories with superconformal symmetry of type I, including all superconformal field the- ories in d = 4 dimensions. Our advance relies on a supergroup theoretic construction of tensor structures that generalizes an approach which was put forward in [1] for bosonic theories. When combined with our recent construction of the relevant superblocks, we are able to derive the crossing symmetry constraint in particular for four-point functions of arbitrary long multiplets in all 4-dimensional superconformal field theories., Published by SISSA, [Trieste]

We develop a group theoretical formalism to study correlation functions in defect conformal field theory, with multiple insertions of bulk and defect fields. This formalism is applied to construct the defect conformal blocks for three-point functions of scalar fields. Starting from a configuration with one bulk and one defect field, for which the correlation function is determined by conformal symmetry, we explore two possibilities, adding either one additional defect or bulk field. In both cases it is possible to express the blocks in terms of classical hypergeometric functions, though the case of two bulk and one defect field requires Appell's function $F_4$.

We study the two-point function of the stress-tensor multiplet of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM in the presence of a line defect. To be more precise, we focus on the single-trace operator of conformal dimension two that sits in the $20'$ irrep of the $\mathfrak{so}(6)_\text{R}$ R-symmetry, and add a Maldacena-Wilson line to the configuration which makes the two-point function non-trivial. We use a combination of perturbation theory and defect CFT techniques to obtain results up to next-to-leading order in the coupling constant. Being a defect CFT correlator, there exist two (super)conformal block expansions which capture defect and bulk data respectively. We present a closed-form formula for the defect CFT data, which allows to write an efficient Taylor series for the correlator in the limit when one of the operators is close to the line. The bulk channel is technically harder and closed-form formulae are particularly challenging to obtain, nevertheless we use our analysis to check against well-known data of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. In particular, we recover the correct anomalous dimensions of a famous tower of twist-two operators (which includes the Konishi multiplet), and successfully compare the one-point function of the stress-tensor multiplet with results obtained using matrix-model techniques.

We apply the numerical conformal bootstrap to correlators of Coulomb and Higgs branch operators in $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal theories. We start by revisiting previous results on single correlators of Coulomb branch operators. In particular, we present improved bounds on OPE coefficients for some selected Argyres-Douglas models, and compare them to recent work where the same cofficients were obtained in the limit of large $r$ charge. There is solid agreement between all the approaches. The improved bounds can be used to extract an approximate spectrum of the Argyres-Douglas models, which can then be used as a guide in order to corner these theories to numerical islands in the space of conformal dimensions. When there is a flavor symmetry present, we complement the analysis by including mixed correlators of Coulomb branch operators and the moment map, a Higgs branch operator which sits in the same multiplet as the flavor current. After calculating the relevant superconformal blocks we apply the numerical machinery to the mixed system. We put general constraints on CFT data appearing in the new channels, with particular emphasis on the simplest Argyres-Douglas model with non-trivial flavor symmetry.

Building on arXiv:1911.05827, we uncover new properties of type-B conformal anomalies for Coulomb-branch operators in continuous families of 4D $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFTs. We study a large class of such anomalies on the Higgs branch, where conformal symmetry is spontaneously broken, and compare them with their counterpart in the CFT phase. In Lagrangian theories, the non-perturbative matching of the anomalies can be determined with a weak coupling Feynman diagram computation involving massive multi-loop banana integrals. We extract the part corresponding to the anomalies of interest. Our calculations support the general conjecture that the Coulomb-branch type-B conformal anomalies always match on the Higgs branch when the IR Coulomb-branch chiral ring is empty. In the opposite case, there are anomalies that do not match. An intriguing implication of the mismatch is the existence of a second covariantly constant metric on the conformal manifold (other than the Zamolodchikov metric), which imposes previously unknown restrictions on its holonomy group.

We study the scalar ��$^{3}$ theory above six dimensions. The beta function $ \beta (g)=-\in g-\frac{3}{4}{g}^3 $ in d = 6 ��� 2�� dimensions has a UV fixed point when �� < 0. Like the O(N) vector models above four dimensions, such a fixed point observed perturbatively in fact corresponds to a pair of complex CFTs separated by a branch cut. Using both the numerical bootstrap method and Gliozzi���s fusion rule truncation method, we argue that the fixed points of the ��$^{3}$ theory above six dimensions exist.

Using some techniques of conformal field theories, we find a closed expression for the contribution of leading twist operators and their descendants, obtained by adding total derivatives, to the operator product expansion (OPE) of two electromagnetic currents in QCD. Our expression resums contributions of all twists and to all orders in perturbation theory up to corrections proportional to the QCD $\beta$-function. At tree level and to twist-four accuracy, our result agrees with the expression derived earlier by a different method. The results are directly applicable to deeply-virtual Compton scattering and, e.g., $\gamma\gamma^\ast$ annihilation in two mesons. As a byproduct, we derive a simple representation for the OPE of two scalar currents that is convenient for applications.

Journal of high energy physics 2020(3), 121 (2020). doi:10.1007/JHEP03(2020)121, We study half-BPS line defects in $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 superconformal theories using the bootstrap approach. We concentrate on local excitations constrained to the defect, which means the system is a 1d defect CFT with osp(4$^{∗}$|2) symmetry. In order to study correlation functions we construct a suitable superspace, and then use the Casimir approach to calculate a collection of new superconformal blocks. Special emphasis is given to the displacement operator, which controls deformations orthogonal to the defect and is always present in a defect CFT. After setting up the crossing equations we proceed with a numerical and analytical bootstrap analysis. We obtain numerical bounds on the CFT data and compare them to known solutions. We also present an analytic perturbative solution to the crossing equations, and argue that this solution captures line defects in $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 gauge theories at strong coupling., Published by SISSA, [Trieste]

Journal of high energy physics 2020(4), 48 (2020). doi:10.1007/JHEP04(2020)048, We study type-B conformal anomalies associated with $ \frac{1}{2} $ -BPS Coulomb-branch operators in 4D $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 superconformal field theories. When the vacuum preserves the conformal symmetry these anomalies coincide with the two-point function coefficients in the Coulomb-branch chiral ring. They are non-trivial functions of exactly-marginal couplings that can be determined from the S$^{4}$ partition function. In this paper, we examine the fate of these anomalies in vacua of the Higgs-branch moduli space, where conformal symmetry is spontaneously broken. We argue non-perturbatively that these anomalies are covariantly constant on conformal manifolds. In some cases, this can be used to show that they match in the broken and unbroken phases. Thus, we uncover a new class of data on the Higgs branch of 4D $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 conformal field theories that are exactly computable. An interesting application of this matching occurs in $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 circular quivers that deconstruct the 6D (2,0) theory on a torus. In that context, we argue that 4D supersymmetric localisation can be used to calculate non-trivial data involving $ \frac{1}{2} $ -BPS operators of the 6D theory as exact functions of the complex structure of the torus., Published by SISSA, [Trieste]

We construct an $\epsilon$-deformation of W algebras, corresponding to the additive version of quiver $\text{W}_{q,t^{-1}}$ algebras which feature prominently in the 5d version of the BPS/CFT correspondence and refined topological strings on toric Calabi-Yau's. This new type of algebras fill in the missing intermediate level between $q$-deformed and ordinary W algebras. We show that $\epsilon$-deformed W algebras are spectral duals of conventional W algebras, in particular the $\epsilon$-deformed conformal blocks manifestly reproduce instanton partition functions of 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ quiver gauge theories in the full $\Omega$-background and give dual integral representations of ordinary W conformal blocks.

We study half-BPS line defects in $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal theories using the bootstrap approach. We concentrate on local excitations constrained to the defect, which means the system is a $1d$ defect CFT with $\mathfrak{osp}(4^*|2)$ symmetry. In order to study correlation functions, we construct a suitable superspace and then use the Casimir approach to calculate a collection of new superconformal blocks. Special emphasis is given to the displacement operator, which controls deformations orthogonal to the defect and is always present in a defect CFT. After writing crossing symmetry we proceed with a numerical and analytical bootstrap analysis. We obtain numerical bounds on the CFT data and compare them to known solutions. We also present an analytic perturbative solution to the crossing equations, and argue that this solution most likely captures line defects in $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories at strong coupling.

Journal of high energy physics 2020(1), 159 (2020). doi:10.1007/JHEP01(2020)159, In this work we launch a systematic theory of superconformal blocks for four­point functions of arbitrary supermultiplets. Our results apply to a large class of superconformal field theories including 4-dimensional models with any number $ \mathcal{N} $ of supersymmetries. The central new ingredient is a universal construction of the relevant Casimir differential equations. In order to find these equations, we model superconformal blocks as functions on the supergroup and pick a distinguished set of coordinates. The latter are chosen so that the superconformal Casimir operator can be written as a perturbation of the Casimir operator for spinning bosonic blocks by a fermionic (nilpotent) term. Solu­ tions to the associated eigenvalue problem can be obtained through a quantum mechanical perturbation theory that truncates at some finite order so that all results are exact. We illustrate the general theory at the example of d = 1 dimensional theories with $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 supersymmetry for which we recover known superblocks. The paper concludes with an outlook to 4-dimensional blocks with $ \mathcal{N} $ = 1 supersymmetry., Published by SISSA, [Trieste]

Physical review / D 98(10), 105001 (2018). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.98.105001, We consider the renormalization of four-fermion operators in the critical QED and SU(Nc) version of the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model in noninteger dimensions. Since the number of mixing operators is infinite, the diagonalization of an anomalous dimension matrix becomes a nontrivial problem. At leading order, the construction of eigenoperators is equivalent to solving certain three-term recurrence relations. We find analytic solutions of these recurrence relations that allow us to determine the spectrum of anomalous dimensions and study their properties., Published by APS, Woodbury, NY

(2016)., We introduce a series of articles reviewing various aspects of integrable models relevant to the AdS/CFT correspondence. Topics covered in these reviews are: classical integrability, Yangian symmetry, factorized scattering, the Bethe ansatz, the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz, and integrable structures in (conformal) quantum field theory. In the present article we highlight how these concepts have found application in AdS/CFT, and provide a brief overview of the material contained in this series.

Journal of high energy physics 1505(5), 114(2015). doi:10.1007/JHEP05(2015)114, The periodic sℓ(2|1) alternating spin chain encodes (some of) the properties of hulls of percolation clusters, and is described in the continuum limit by a logarithmic conformal field theory (LCFT) at central charge c = 0. This theory corresponds to the strong coupling regime of a sigma model on the complex projective superspace CP$^{1|1}$ = U(2|1)/(U(1) × U(1|1)), and the spectrum of critical exponents can be obtained exactly. In this paper we push the analysis further, and determine the main representation theoretic (logarithmic) features of this continuum limit by extending to the periodic case the approach of [1] [N. Read and H. Saleur, Nucl. Phys. B 777 (2007) 316]. We first focus on determining the representation theory of the finite size spin chain with respect to the algebra of local energy densities provided by a representation of the affine Temperley-Lieb algebra at fugacity one. We then analyze how these algebraic properties carry over to the continuum limit to deduce the structure of the space of states as a representation over the product of left and right Virasoro algebras. Our main result is the full structure of the vacuum module of the theory, which exhibits Jordan cells of arbitrary rank for the Hamiltonian., Published by Springer, Berlin

(2015)., This is the 11th article in the collection of reviews 'Exact results in N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories', ed. J. Teschner. It describes an approach to understanding the 4d/2d relations discovered by Alday, Gaiotto and Tachikawa by establishing a triangle of relations between the zero mode quantum mechanics obtained by localisation of class $\cal S$ theories, the quantum theory obtained by quantisation of Hitchin moduli spaces, and conformal field theory.

Physical review / D 045005, 44(2015). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.91.045005;10.1103/PhysRevD.91.045005, In this second part of our investigation [1] of the analytic structure of the $2\to 5$ scattering amplitude in the planar limit of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory in multi-Regge kinematics we compute, in all kinematic regions, the Regge-cut contributions at leading order. The results are infrared finite and conformally invariant., Published by Soc., [S.l.]

13 pp. (1997)., The quantization of isomonodromic deformation of a meromorphic connection on the torus is shown to lead directly to the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov-Bernard equations in the same way as the problem on the sphere leads to the system of Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations. The Poisson bracket required for a Hamiltonian formulation of isomonodromic deformations is naturally induced by the Poisson structure of Chern-Simons theory in a holomorphic gauge fixing. This turns out to be the origin of the appearance of twisted quantities on the torus.

The fixed point resolution problem is solved for diagonal coset theories. The primary fields into which the fixed points are resolved are described by submodules of the branching spaces, obtained as eigenspaces of the automorphisms that implement field identification. To compute the characters and the modular S -matrix we use ‘orbit Lie algebras’ and ‘twining characters’, which were introduced in a previous paper. The characters of the primary fields are expressed in terms of branching functions of twining characters. This allows us to express the modular S -matrix through the S -matrices of the orbit Lie algebras associated to the identification group. Our results can be extended to the larger class of ‘generalized diagonal cosets’.

24 pp. (1990)., Haag duality is established in conformal quantum field theory for observable fields on the compactified light ray S1 and Minkowski space S1×S1, respectively. This result provides the foundation for an algebraic approach to the classification of conformal theories. Haag duality can fail, however, for the restriction of conformal fields to the underlying non-compact spaces ℝ, respectively ℝ×ℝ. A prominent example is the stress energy tensor with central charge c>1.

62 pp. (1988)., Methods of algebraic quantum field theory are used to classify all field- and observable algebras, whose common germ is the U(1)-current algebra. An elementary way is described to compute characters of such algebras. It exploits the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger condition for Gibbs states..

41 pp. (1975).

Communications in mathematical physics 341(1), 35 - 103(2016). doi:10.1007/s00220-015-2483-9, We develop in this paper the principles of an associative algebraic approach to bulk logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFTs). We concentrate on the closed ${\mathfrak{gl}(1|1)}$ spin-chain and its continuum limit—the ${c=-2}$ symplectic fermions theory—and rely on two technical companion papers, Gainutdinov et al. (Nucl Phys B 871:245–288, 2013) and Gainutdinov et al. (Nucl Phys B 871:289–329, 2013). Our main result is that the algebra of local Hamiltonians, the Jones–Temperley–Lieb algebra JTL$_{N}$ , goes over in the continuum limit to a bigger algebra than ${\boldsymbol{\mathcal{V}}}$ , the product of the left and right Virasoro algebras. This algebra, ${\mathcal{S}}$ —which we call interchiral, mixes the left and right moving sectors, and is generated, in the symplectic fermions case, by the additional field ${S(z,\bar{z})\equiv S_{\alpha\beta} \psi^\alpha(z)\bar{\psi}^\beta(\bar{z})}$ , with a symmetric form ${S_{\alpha\beta}}$ and conformal weights (1,1). We discuss in detail how the space of states of the LCFT (technically, a Krein space) decomposes onto representations of this algebra, and how this decomposition is related with properties of the finite spin-chain. We show that there is a complete correspondence between algebraic properties of finite periodic spin chains and the continuum limit. An important technical aspect of our analysis involves the fundamental new observation that the action of JTL$_{N}$ in the ${\mathfrak{gl}(1|1)}$ spin chain is in fact isomorphic to an enveloping algebra of a certain Lie algebra, itself a non semi-simple version of ${\mathfrak{sp}_{N-2}}$ . The semi-simple part of JTL$_{N}$ is represented by ${U \mathfrak{sp}_{N-2}}$ , providing a beautiful example of a classical Howe duality, for which we have a non semi-simple version in the full JTL$_{N}$ image represented in the spin-chain. On the continuum side, simple modules over ${\mathcal{S}}$ are identified with “fundamental” representations of ${\mathfrak{sp}_\infty}$ ., Published by Springer, Berlin