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A D3-D5 intersection gives rise to a defect CFT, wherein the rank of the gauge group jumps by k units across a domain wall. The one-point functions of local operators in this set-up map to overlaps between on-shell Bethe states in the underlying spin chain and a boundary state representing the D5 brane. Focussing on the k=1 case, we extend the construction to gluonic and fermionic sectors, which was prohibitively difficult to achieve for k>1. As a byproduct, we test an all-loop proposal for the one-point functions in the su(2) sector at the half-wrapping order of perturbation theory., 30 pages, 3 figures; v2: distinction between asymptotic and wrapping contributions clarified

The psu(2,2|4) integrable super spin chain underlying the AdS/CFT correspondence has integrable boundary states which describe set-ups where k D3-branes get dissolved in a probe D5-brane. Overlaps between Bethe eigenstates and these boundary states encode the one-point functions of conformal operators and are expressed in terms of the superdeterminant of the Gaudin matrix that in turn depends on the Dynkin diagram of the symmetry algebra. The different possible Dynkin diagrams of super Lie algebras are related via fermionic dualities and we determine how overlap formulae transform under these dualities. As an application we show how to consistently move between overlap formulae obtained for k=1 from different Dynkin diagrams., Comment: 34 pages, 8 figures; v2: a few clarifications added

The encoding of all possible sets of Bethe equations for a spin chain with SU(N|M) symmetry into a QQ-system calls for an expression of spin chain overlaps entirely in terms of Q-functions. We take a significant step towards deriving such a universal formula in the case of overlaps between Bethe eigenstates and integrable boundary states, of relevance for AdS/dCFT, by determining the transformation properties of the overlaps under fermionic as well as bosonic dualities which allows us to move between any two descriptions of the spin chain encoded in the QQ-system. An important part of our analysis involves introducing a suitable regularization for singular Bethe root configurations., Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures; v2: minor changes

We consider a non-supersymmetric domain-wall version of $\mathcal{N} = 4$ SYM theory where five out of the six scalar fields have non-zero classical values on one side of a wall of codimension one. The classical fields have commutators which constitute an irreducible representation of the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{so}(5)$ leading to a highly non-trivial mixing between color and flavor components of the quantum fields. Making use of fuzzy spherical harmonics on $S^4$, we explicitly solve the mixing problem and derive not only the spectrum of excitations at the quantum level but also the propagators of the original fields needed for perturbative quantum computations. As an application, we derive the one-loop one-point function of a chiral primary and find complete agreement with a supergravity prediction of the same quantity in a double-scaling limit which involves a limit of large instanton number in the dual D3-D7 probe-brane setup., 37 pages, 1 figure

Using considerations based on the thermodynamical Bethe ansatz as well representation theory of twisted Yangians we derive an exact expression for the overlaps between the Bethe eigenstates of the $SO(6)$ spin chain and matrix product states built from matrices whose commutators generate an irreducible representation of $\mathfrak{so}(5)$. The latter play the role of boundary states in a domain wall version of ${\cal N}=4$ SYM theory which has non-vanishing, $SO(5)$ symmetric vacuum expectation values on one side of a co-dimension one wall. This theory, which constitutes a defect CFT, is known to be dual to a D3-D7 probe brane system. We likewise show that the same methodology makes it possible to prove an overlap formula, earlier presented without proof, which is of relevance for the similar D3-D5 probe brane system., 47 pages, misprints corrected

Journal of physics / A 53(45), 453002 (2020). doi:10.1088/1751-8121/abb0fe, A review of Boundary and defect conformal field theory: open problems and applications, following a workshop held at Chicheley Hall, Buckinghamshire, UK, 7���8 Sept. 2017. We attempt to provide a broad, bird���s-eye view of the latest progress in boundary and defect conformal field theory in various sub-fields of theoretical physics, including the renormalization group, integrability, conformal bootstrap, topological field theory, supersymmetry, holographic duality, and more. We also discuss open questions and promising research directions in each of these sub-fields, and combinations thereof., Published by IOP Publ., Bristol

We initiate the calculation of quantum corrections to Wilson loops in a class of four-dimensional defect conformal field theories with vacuum expectation values based on N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. Concretely, we consider an infinite straight Wilson line, obtaining explicit results for the one-loop correction to its expectation value in the large-N limit. This allows us to extract the particle-interface potential of the theory. In a further double-scaling limit, we compare our results to those of a previous calculation in the dual string-theory set-up consisting of a D5-D3 probe-brane system with flux, and we find perfect agreement., Published version

We propose a closed formula for the tree-level one-point functions of non-protected operators belonging to an SU(3) sub-sector of the defect CFT dual to the D3-D5 probe brane system with background gauge field flux, k, valid for k=2. The formula passes a number of non-trivial analytical and numerical tests. Our proposal is based on expressing the one-point functions as an overlap between a Bethe eigenstate of the SU(3) spin chain and a certain matrix product state, deriving various factorization properties of the Gaudin norm and performing explicit computations for shorter spin chains. As its SU(2) counterpart, the one-point function formula for the SU(3) sub-sector is of determinant type. We discuss the the differences with the SU(2) case and the challenges in extending the present formula beyond k=2., Comment: 6 pages

We study the matrix product state which appears as the boundary state of the AdS/dCFT set-up where a probe D7 brane wraps two two-spheres stabilized by fluxes. The matrix product state plays a dual role, on one hand acting as a tool for computing one-point functions in a domain wall version of N=4 SYM and on the other hand acting as the initial state in the study of quantum quenches of the Heisenberg spin chain. We derive a number of selection rules for the overlaps between the matrix product state and the eigenstates of the Heisenberg spin chain and in particular demonstrate that the matrix product state does not fulfill a recently proposed integrability criterion. Accordingly, we find that the overlaps can not be expressed in the usual factorized determinant form. Nevertheless, we derive some exact results for one-point functions of simple operators and present a closed formula for one-point functions of more general operators in the limit of large spin-chain length., 6 pages

This chapter gives a basic introduction to N 7equals; 4 SYM theory and the integrability of its planar spectral problem as seen from the perspective of a recent development, namely the AdS/dCFT correspondence and the application of integrability to the study of one-point functions in a defect CFT version of the theory.

Via a challenging field-theory computation, we confirm a supergravity prediction for the non-supersymmetric D3-D7 probe-brane system with probe geometry AdS_4 x S^2 x S^2, stabilized by fluxes. Supergravity predicts, in a certain double-scaling limit, the value of the one-point functions of chiral primaries of the dual defect version of N=4 SYM theory, where the fluxes translate into SO(3) x SO(3)-symmetric, Lie-algebra-valued vacuum expectation values for all six scalar fields. Using a generalization of the technique based on fuzzy spherical harmonics developed for the related D3-D5 probe-brane system, we diagonalize the resulting mass matrix of the field theory. Subsequently, we calculate the planar one-loop correction to the vacuum expectation values of the scalars in dimensional reduction and find that it is UV finite and non-vanishing. We then proceed to calculating the one-loop correction to the planar one-point function of any single-trace scalar operator and explicitly evaluate this correction for a 1/2-BPS operator of length L at two leading orders in the double-scaling limit, finding exact agreement with the supergravity prediction., Comment: 33+14 pages, 5 figures; v2: typos corrected, reference added, version published in JHEP

We determine in a closed form all scalar one-point functions of the defect CFT dual to the D3-D5 probe brane system with k units of flux which amounts to calculating the overlap between a Bethe eigenstate of the integrable SO(6) spin chain and a certain matrix product state of bond dimension k. In particular, we show that the matrix product state is annihilated by all the parity odd charges of the spin chain which has recently been suggested as the criterion for such a state to correspond to an integrable initial state. Finally, we discuss the properties of the analogous matrix product state for the SO(5) symmetric D3-D7 probe brane set-up., 6 pages

We take the first step in extending the integrability approach to one-point functions in AdS/dCFT to higher loop orders. More precisely, we argue that the formula encoding all tree-level one-point functions of SU(2) operators in the defect version of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, dual to the D5-D3 probe-brane system with flux, has a natural asymptotic generalization to higher loop orders. The asymptotic formula correctly encodes the information about the one-loop correction to the one-point functions of nonprotected operators once dressed by a simple flux-dependent factor, as we demonstrate by an explicit computation involving a novel object denoted as an amputated matrix product state. Furthermore, when applied to the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase vacuum state, the asymptotic formula gives a result for the one-point function which in a certain double-scaling limit agrees with that obtained in the dual string theory up to wrapping order.

We build the framework for performing loop computations in the defect version of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory which is dual to the probe D5-D3 brane system with background gauge-field flux. In this dCFT, a codimension-one defect separates two regions of space-time with different ranks of the gauge group and three of the scalar fields acquire non-vanishing and space-time-dependent vacuum expectation values. The latter leads to a highly non-trivial mass mixing problem between different colour and flavour components, which we solve using fuzzy-sphere coordinates. Furthermore, the resulting space-time dependence of the theory's Minkowski space propagators is handled by reformulating these as propagators in an effective AdS4. Subsequently, we initiate the computation of quantum corrections. The one-loop correction to the one-point function of any local gauge-invariant scalar operator is shown to receive contributions from only two Feynman diagrams. We regulate these diagrams using dimensional reduction, finding that one of the two diagrams vanishes, and discuss the procedure for calculating the one-point function of a generic operator from the SU(2) subsector. Finally, we explicitly evaluate the one-loop correction to the one-point function of the BPS vacuum state, finding perfect agreement with an earlier string-theory prediction. This constitutes a highly non-trivial test of the gauge-gravity duality in a situation where both supersymmetry and conformal symmetry are partially broken., 41 pages; v2: typos corrected, one comment added, matches published version

We initiate the calculation of loop corrections to correlation functions in 4D defect CFTs. More precisely, we consider N=4 SYM with a codimension-one defect separating two regions of space, x_3>0 and x_30. The holographic dual is the D3-D5 probe brane system where the D5 brane geometry is AdS_4 x S^2 and a background gauge field has k units of flux through the S^2. We diagonalise the mass matrix of the defect CFT making use of fuzzy-sphere coordinates and we handle the x_3-dependence of the mass terms in the 4D Minkowski space propagators by reformulating these as standard massive AdS_4 propagators. Furthermore, we show that only two Feynman diagrams contribute to the one-loop correction to the one-point function of any single-trace operator and we explicitly calculate this correction in the planar limit for the simplest chiral primary. The result of this calculation is compared to an earlier string-theory computation in a certain double-scaling limit, finding perfect agreement. Finally, we discuss how to generalise our calculation to any single-trace operator, to finite N and to other types of observables such as Wilson loops., 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; v2: shortened, regularisation changed, match with string theory, v3: typo in table corrected, title changed to match journal version

The D3-probe-D7 brane system, oriented so as to have 2+1-dimensional Poincare symmetry, is argued to be the holographic representation of a strongly correlated fractional topological insulator which exhibits a zero-field quantized Hall effect with half-units of Hall conductivity. The phase diagram of the system with charge density and external magnetic field is found and, as well as charge gapped quantum Hall states, it exhibits metallic and semi-metallic phases with interesting behaviours. The relationship of this to other models of fractional topological insulators is discussed., 22 pages, 2 figures, text restructured, five additional plots included, published version

We calculate planar tree level one-point functions of non-protected operators in the defect conformal field theory dual to the D3-D5 brane system with k units of the world volume flux. Working in the operator basis of Bethe eigenstates of the Heisenberg XXX_{1/2} spin chain we express the one-point functions as overlaps of these eigenstates with a matrix product state. For k=2 we obtain a closed expression of determinant form for any number of excitations, and in the case of half-filling we find a relation with the N\'eel state. In addition, we present a number of results for the limiting case of infinite k., Comment: 31 pages, 3 figures; v2: references added

We argue that existing methods for the perturbative computation of anomalous dimensions and the disentanglement of mixing in N = 4 gauge theory can be considerably simplified, systematized and extended by focusing on the theory's dilatation operator. The efficiency of the method is first illustrated at the one-loop level for general non-derivative scalar states. We then go on to derive, for pure scalar states, the two-loop structure of the dilatation operator. This allows us to obtain a host of new results. Among these are an infinite number of previously unknown two-loop anomalous dimensions, new subtleties concerning 't Hooft's large N expansion due to mixing effects of degenerate single and multiple trace states, two-loop tests of various protected operators, as well as two-loop non-planar results for two-impurity operators in BMN gauge theory. We also put to use the recently discovered integrable spin chain description of the planar one-loop dilatation operator and show that the associated Yang-Baxter equation explains the existence of a hitherto unknown planar ``axial'' symmetry between infinitely many gauge theory states. We present evidence that this integrability can be extended to all loops, with intriguing consequences for gauge theory, and that it leads to a novel integrable deformation of the XXX Heisenberg spin chain. Assuming that the integrability structure extends to more than two loops, we determine the planar three-loop contribution to the dilatation operator.

We rigorously derive an effective quantum mechanical Hamiltonian from N=4 gauge theory in the BMN limit. Its eigenvalues yield the exact one-loop anomalous dimensions of scalar two-impurity BMN operators for all genera. It is demonstrated that this reformulation vastly simplifies computations. E.g. the known anomalous dimension formula for genus one is reproduced through a one-line calculation. We also efficiently evaluate the genus two correction, finding a non-vanishing result. We comment on multi-trace two-impurity operators and we conjecture that our quantum-mechanical reformulation could be extended to higher quantum loops and more impurities., Comment: 13 pages, v2: minor changes, v3: typo corrected, to appear in Phys. Lett. B

Correlation functions in perturbative N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory are examined in the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase (BMN) limit. We demonstrate that non-extremal four-point functions of chiral primary fields are ill-defined in that limit. This lends support to the assertion that only gauge theoretic two-point functions should be compared to pp-wave strings. We further refine the analysis of the recently discovered non-planar corrections to the planar BMN limit. In particular, a full resolution to the genus one operator mixing problem is presented, leading to modifications in the map between BMN operators and string states. We give a perturbative construction of the correct operators and we identify their anomalous dimensions. We also distinguish symmetric, anti-symmetric and singlet operators and find, interestingly, the same torus anomalous dimension for all three. Finally, it is discussed how operator mixing effects modify three point functions at the classical level and, at one loop, allow us to recover conformal invariance.

The metric of a spacetime with a parallel plane (pp)-wave can be obtained in a certain limit of the space AdS^5xS^5. According to the AdS/CFT correspondence, the holographic dual of superstring theory on that background should be the analogous limit of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. In this paper we shall show that, contrary to widespread expectation, non-planar diagrams survive this limiting procedure in the gauge theory. Using matrix model techniques as well as combinatorial reasoning it is demonstrated that a subset of diagrams of arbitrary genus survives and that a non-trivial double scaling limit may be defined. We exactly compute two- and three-point functions of chiral primaries in this limit. We also carefully study certain operators conjectured to correspond to string excitations on the pp-wave background. We find non-planar linear mixing of these proposed operators, requiring their redefinition. Finally, we show that the redefined operators receive non-planar corrections to the planar one-loop anomalous dimension.

A detailed numerical study of a recent proposal for exotic states of the D3-probe D5 brane system with charge density and an external magnetic field is presented. The state has a large number of coincident D5 branes blowing up to a D7 brane in the presence of the worldvolume electric and magnetic fields which are necessary to construct the holographic state. Numerical solutions have shown that these states can compete with the the previously known chiral symmetry breaking and maximally symmetric phases of the D3-D5 system. Moreover, at integer filling fractions, they are incompressible with integer quantized Hall conductivities. In the dual superconformal defect field theory, these solutions correspond to states which break the chiral and global flavor symmetries spontaneously. The region of the temperature-density plane where the D7 brane has lower energy than the other known D5 brane solutions is identified. A hypothesis for the structure of states with filling fraction and Hall conductivity greater than one is made and tested by numerical computation. A parallel with the quantum Hall ferromagnetism or magnetic catalysis phenomenon which is observed in graphene is drawn. As well as demonstrating that the phenomenon can exist in a strongly coupled system, this work makes a number of predictions of symmetry breaking patterns and phase transitions for such systems., Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures, references added

The Hall and longitudinal conductivities of a recently studied holographic model of a quantum Hall ferromagnet are computed using the Karch-O'Bannon technique. In addition, the low temperature entropy of the model is determined. The holographic model has a phase transition as the Landau level filling fraction is increased from zero to one. We argue that this phase transition allows the longitudinal conductivity to have features qualitatively similar to those of two dimensional electron gases in the integer quantum Hall regime. The argument also applies to the low temperature limit of the entropy. The Hall conductivity is found to have an interesting structure. Even though it does not exhibit Hall plateaux, it has a flattened dependence on the filling fraction with a jump, analogous to the interpolation between Hall plateaux, at the phase transition., Comment: 7 pages, double column format, 4 figures

We introduce and solve a family of discrete models of 2D Lorentzian gravity with higher curvature, which possess mutually commuting transfer matrices, and whose spectral parameter interpolates between flat and curved space-times. We further establish a one-to-one correspondence between Lorentzian triangulations and directed Random Walks. This gives a simple explanation why the Lorentzian triangulations have fractal dimension 2 and why the curvature model lies in the universality class of pure Lorentzian gravity. We also study integrable generalizations of the curvature model with arbitrary polygonal tiles. All of them are found to lie in the same universality class., Comment: 47 pages, 10 figures, harvmac, epsf

We introduce a matrix model describing the fully-packed O(n) model on random Eulerian triangulations (i.e. triangulations with all vertices of even valency). For n=1 the model is mapped onto a particular gravitational 6-vertex model with central charge c=1, hence displaying the expected shift c -> c+1 when going from ordinary random triangulations to Eulerian ones. The case of arbitrary n is also discussed., 12 pages, 3 figures, tex, harvmac, epsf

Consider a random three-coordinate lattice of spherical topology having 2v vertices and being densely covered by a single closed, self-avoiding walk, i.e. being equipped with a Hamiltonian cycle. We determine the number of such objects as a function of v. Furthermore we express the partition function of the corresponding statistical model as an elliptic integral., Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, 3 eps-figures, one reference added

We show that a recently proposed Yang-Mills matrix model with an auxiliary field, which is a candidate for a non-perturbative description of type IIB superstrings, captures the Euler characteristic of moduli space of Riemann surfaces. This happens at the saddle point for the Yang-Mills field. It turns out that the large-n limit in this matrix model corresponds to a double scaling limit in the Penner model., Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX

We find a new holographic description of strongly coupled defect field theories using probe D5 branes. We consider a system where a large number of probe branes, which are asymptotically D5 branes, blow up into a D7 brane suspended in the bulk of anti-de Sitter space. For a particular ratio of charge density to external magnetic field, so that the Landau level filling fraction per color is equal to one, the D7 brane exhibits an incompressible charge-gapped state with one unit of integer quantized Hall conductivity. The detailed configuration as well as ungapped, compressible configurations for a range of parameters near the gapped one are found by solving the D5 and D7 brane embedding equations numerically and the D7 is shown to be preferred over the D5 by comparing their energies. We then find integer quantum Hall states with higher filling fractions as a stack of D5 branes which blow up to multiple D7 branes where each D7 brane has filling fraction one. We find indications that the n D7 branes describing the filling fraction n state are coincident with a residual SU(n) symmetry when n is a divisor of the total number of D5 branes. We examine the issue of stability of the larger filling fraction Hall states. We argue that, in the D7 brane phase, chiral symmetry restoration could be a first order phase transition., 30 pages, 15 figures, typos fixed, some clarifying comments added

We calculate planar, tree-level, non-extremal three-point functions of operators belonging to the SU(2) x SU(2) sector of ABJM theory. First, we generalize the determinant representation, found by Foda for the three-point functions of the SU(2) sector of N=4 SYM, to the present case and find that the ABJM result up to normalization factors factorizes into a product of two N=4 SYM correlation functions. Secondly, we treat the case where two operators are heavy and one is light and BPS, using a coherent state description of the heavy ones. We show that when normalized by the three-point function of three BPS operators the heavy-heavy-light correlation function agrees, in the Frolov-Tseytlin limit, with its string theory counterpart which we calculate holographically., 24 pages. v2: typos corrected, references added, published version

We present an exact solution of the $O(n)$ model on a random lattice. The coupling constant space of our model is parametrized in terms of a set of moment variables and the same type of universality with respect to the potential as observed for the one-matrix model is found. In addition we find a large degree of universality with respect to $n$; namely for $n\in ]-2,2[$ the solution can be presented in a form which is valid not only for any potential, but also for any $n$ (not necessarily rational). The cases $n=\pm 2$ are treated separately. We give explicit expressions for the genus zero contribution to the one- and two-loop correlators as well as for the genus one contribution to the one-loop correlator and the free energy. It is shown how one can obtain from these results any multi-loop correlator and the free energy to any genus and the structure of the higher genera contributions is described. Furthermore we describe how the calculation of the higher genera contributions can be pursued in the scaling limit., Comment: 44 pages, LaTeX file, no figures

We compute the one-point functions of chiral primary operators in the non-supersymmetric defect conformal field theory that is dual to the IIB string theory on $AdS_5\times S^5$ background with a probe D7 brane with internal gauge field flux, both in perturbative Yang-Mills theory and in the string theory dual. The former is expected to be accurate at weak coupling whereas the latter should be accurate in the planar strong coupling limit of the gauge theory. We consider the distinct cases where the D7 brane has geometry $AdS_4\times S^4$ with an instanton bundle of the worldvolume gauge fields on $S^4$ and $AdS_4\times S^2\times S^2$ with Dirac monopole bundles on each $S^2$. The gauge theory computation and the string theory computation can be compared directly in the planar limit and then a subsequent limit where the worldvolume flux is large. We find that there is exact agreement between the two in the leading order., v2 minor edits and additional references added

We reconsider the calculation of the one-loop effective action for an open Green-Schwarz superstring in the $AdS_5\times S^5$ background for a circular boundary loop. By an explicit computation of the ratio of relevant determinants, describing semi-classical fluctuations about the minimal surface in AdS and flat spaces, we show that it does not depend upon the AdS regularizing parameter $\epsilon$. The only dependence upon $\epsilon$ resides in the reparametrization path integral of the exponential of the classical boundary action. We analyze how the result depends on the choice of the boundary condition imposed on fluctuating fields and show that, despite the fact that the contribution of individual angular modes changes, the product over the modes remains unchanged., Comment: 26pp., v2: minor corrections, v3: published in JHEP

We find a simple parametrization of the anti-symmetric giant graviton in AdS_4 x CP^3, first constructed in arXiv:1108.3084 [hep-th], dual to the anti-symmetric Schur polynomial involving two bi-fundamental complex scalar fields of ABJM theory. Using this parametrization we evaluate in a semi-classical approach the three-point function of two such giant gravitons and one point-like graviton considering both extremal and non-extremal configurations. We likewise discuss the case of the symmetric giant graviton in AdS_4 x CP^3. Finally, we provide an expression for the planar three-point function of chiral primary operators in ABJM at strong coupling and find that the results for the giant graviton three-point functions reduce to this expression in the point-like limit., 1+16 pages. v2 added a reference