arXiv subjects

Eric D'Hoker

Publications and source records attributed to Eric D'Hoker.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

M-theory Solutions Invariant under $D(2,1;γ) \oplus D(2,1;γ)$

We simplify and extend the construction of half-BPS solutions to 11-dimensional supergravity, with isometry superalgebra D(2,1;γ) \oplus D(2,1;γ). Their space-time has the form AdS_3 x S^3 x S^3 warped over a Riemann surface Σ. It describes near-horizon geometries of M2 branes ending on, or intersecting with, M5 branes along a common string. The general solution to the BPS equations is specified by a reduced set of data (γ, h, G), where γis the real parameter of the isometry superalgebra, and h and G are functions on Σwhose differential equations and regularity conditions depend only on the sign of γ. The magnitude of γenters only through the map of h, G onto the supergravity fields, thereby promoting all solutions into families parametrized by |γ|. By analyzing the regularity conditions for the supergravity fields, we prove two general theorems: (i) that the only solution with a 2-dimensional CFT dual is AdS_3 x S^3 x S^3 x R^2, modulo discrete identifications of the flat R^2, and (ii) that solutions with γ< 0 cannot have more than one asymptotic higher-dimensional AdS region. We classify the allowed singularities of h and G near the boundary of Σ, and identify four local solutions: asymptotic AdS_4/Z_2 or AdS_7' regions; highly-curved M5-branes; and a coordinate singularity called the "cap". By putting these "Lego" pieces together we recover all known global regular solutions with the above symmetry, including the self-dual strings on M5 for $γ< 0$, and the Janus solution for γ> 0, but now promoted to families parametrized by |γ|. We also construct exactly new regular solutions which are asymptotic to AdS_4/Z_2 for γ< 0, and conjecture that they are a different superconformal limit of the self-dual string.

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arXiv2013

Two-loop vacuum energy for Calabi-Yau orbifold models

A precise evaluation of the two-loop vacuum energy is provided for certain Z_2 x Z_2 Calabi-Yau orbifold models in the Heterotic string. The evaluation is based on the recent general prescription for superstring perturbation theory in terms of integration over cycles in supermoduli space, implemented at two-loops with the gauge-fixing methods based on the natural projection of supermoduli space onto moduli space using the super-period matrix. It is shown that the contribution from the interior of supermoduli space (computed with the procedure that has been used in previous two-loop computations) vanishes identically for both the E_8 x E_8 and Spin (32)/Z_2 Heterotic strings. The contribution from the boundary of supermoduli space is also evaluated, and shown to vanish for the E_8 x E_8 string but not for the Spin (32)/Z_2 string, thus breaking supersymmetry in this last model. As a byproduct, the vacuum energy in Type II superstrings is shown to vanish as well for these orbifolds.

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arXiv2012

Quantum Criticality via Magnetic Branes

Holographic methods are used to investigate the low temperature limit, including quantum critical behavior, of strongly coupled 4-dimensional gauge theories in the presence of an external magnetic field, and finite charge density. In addition to the metric, the dual gravity theory contains a Maxwell field with Chern-Simons coupling. In the absence of charge, the magnetic field induces an RG flow to an infrared AdS$_3 \times {\bf R}^2$ geometry, which is dual to a 2-dimensional CFT representing strongly interacting fermions in the lowest Landau level. Two asymptotic Virasoro algebras and one chiral Kac-Moody algebra arise as {\sl emergent symmetries} in the IR. Including a nonzero charge density reveals a quantum critical point when the magnetic field reaches a critical value whose scale is set by the charge density. The critical theory is probed by the study of long-distance correlation functions of the boundary stress tensor and current. All quantities of major physical interest in this system, such as critical exponents and scaling functions, can be computed analytically. We also study an asymptotically AdS$_6$ system whose magnetic field induced quantum critical point is governed by a IR Lifshitz geometry, holographically dual to a D=2+1 field theory. The behavior of these holographic theories shares important similarities with that of real world quantum critical systems obtained by tuning a magnetic field, and may be relevant to materials such as Strontium Ruthenates.

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arXiv2012

Holographic duals of Boundary CFTs

New families of regular half-BPS solutions to 6-dimensional Type 4b supergravity with $m$ tensor multiplets are constructed exactly. Their space-time consists of $AdS_2 \times S^2$ warped over a Riemann surface with an arbitrary number of boundary components, and arbitrary genus. The solutions have an arbitrary number of asymptotic $AdS_3 \times S^3$ regions. In addition to strictly single-valued solutions to the supergravity equations whose scalars live in the coset $SO(5,m)/SO(5)\times SO(m)$, we also construct stringy solutions whose scalar fields are single-valued up to transformations under the $U$-duality group $SO(5,m;\bZ)$, and live in the coset $SO(5,m;\bZ)\backslash SO(5,m)/SO(5)\times SO(m)$. We argue that these Type 4b solutions are holographically dual to general classes of interface and boundary CFTs arising at the juncture of the end-points of 1+1-dimensional bulk CFTs. We evaluate their corresponding holographic entanglement and boundary entropy, and discuss their brane interpretation. We conjecture that the solutions for which $Σ$ has handles and multiple boundaries correspond to the near-horizon limit of half-BPS webs of dyonic strings and three-branes.

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arXiv2012

Charge Expulsion from Black Brane Horizons, and Holographic Quantum Criticality in the Plane

Quantum critical behavior in 2+1 dimensions is established via holographic methods in a 5+1-dimensional Einstein gravity theory with gauge potential form fields of rank 1 and 2. These fields are coupled to one another via a tri-linear Chern-Simons term with strength k. The quantum phase transition is physically driven by the expulsion of the electric charge from inside the black brane horizon to the outside, where it gets carried by the gauge fields which acquire charge thanks to the Chern-Simons interaction. At a critical value k=k_c, zero temperature, and any finite value of the magnetic field, the IR behavior is governed by a near-horizon Lifshitz geometry. The associated dynamical scaling exponent depends on the magnetic field. For k k_c, the IR flow is towards the purely magnetic brane in AdS_6. Its near-horizon geometry is AdS_4 \times R^2, so that the entropy density vanishes quadratically with temperature, and all charge is carried by the gauge fields outside of the horizon.

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arXiv2011

Exact half-BPS string-junction solutions in six-dimensional supergravity

We construct SO(2,1) x SO(3)-invariant half-BPS solutions in six-dimensional (0,4) supergravity with m tensor multiplets. The space-time manifold of each one of these solutions consists of an AdS_2 x S^2 warped over a Riemann surface Sigma with boundary. The most general local solution is parametrized by one real harmonic function, and m+2 holomorphic functions which are subject to a quadratic constraint and a hermitian inequality, both of which are manifestly SO(2,m) invariant. Imposing suitable conditions on these harmonic and holomorphic functions, we construct globally regular supergravity solutions with N distinct AdS_3 x S^3 asymptotic regions and contractible Sigma. These solutions have an intricate moduli space, whose dimension equals 2(m+1)N -m-2 and matches the counting of three-form charge vectors and un-attracted scalars of the tensor multiplet. Exact explicit formulas for all supergravity fields are obtained in terms of the moduli. Our solutions give the near-horizon geometries for junctions of N self-dual strings in six dimensions, and are holographic duals to CFTs defined on N half-planes which share a common interface line. For m=5, the solutions lift to quarter-BPS solutions for six-dimensional (4,4) supergravity.

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arXiv2011

Simple holographic duals to boundary CFTs

By relaxing the regularity conditions imposed in arXiv:1107.1722 on half-BPS solutions to six-dimensional Type~4b supergravity, we enlarge the space of solutions to include two new half-BPS configurations, which we refer to as the \kap\ and the \funnel. We give evidence that the \kap\ and \funnel\ can be interpreted as fully back-reacted brane solutions with respectively $AdS_2$ and $AdS_2\times S^2$ world volumes. \kap\ and \funnel\ solutions with a single asymptotic $AdS_3 \times S^3$ region are constructed analytically. We argue that \kap\ solutions provide simple examples of holographic duals to boundary CFTs in two dimensions and present calculations of their holographic boundary entropy to support the BCFT dual picture.

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arXiv2011

Charged Magnetic Brane Correlators and Twisted Virasoro Algebras

Prior work using gauge/gravity duality has established the existence of a quantum critical point in the phase diagram of 3+1-dimensional gauge theories at finite charge density and background magnetic field. The critical theory, obtained by tuning the dimensionless charge density to magnetic field ratio, exhibits nontrivial scaling in its thermodynamic properties, and an associated nontrivial dynamical critical exponent. In the present work, we analytically compute low energy correlation functions in the background of the charged magnetic brane solution to 4+1-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory, which represents the bulk description of the critical point. Results are obtained for neutral scalar operators, the stress tensor, and the U(1)-current. The theory is found to exhibit a twisted Virasoro algebra, constructed from a linear combination of the original stress tensor and chiral U(1)-current. The effective speed of light in the IR is renormalized downward for one chirality, but not the other, by finite density, a behavior that is consistent with a Luttinger liquid description of fermions in the lowest Landau level. The results obtained here do not directly shed light on the mechanism driving the phase transition, and we comment on why this is so.

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arXiv2010

RG Flow of Magnetic Brane Correlators

The magnetic brane solution to five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory provides a holographic description of the RG flow from four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory in the presence of a constant magnetic field to a two-dimensional low energy CFT. We compute two-point correlators involving the U(1) current and the stress tensor, and use their leading IR behavior to confirm the existence of a single chiral current algebra, and of left- and right-moving Virasoro algebras in the low energy CFT. The common central charge of the Virasoro algebras is found to match the Brown-Henneaux formula, while the level of the current algebra is related to the Chern-Simons coupling. The coordinate reparametrizations produced by the Virasoro algebras on the AdS_3 near-horizon geometry arise from physical non-pure gauge modes in the asymptotic AdS_5 region, thereby providing a concrete example for the emergence of IR symmetries. Finally, we interpret the infinite series of sub-leading IR contributions to the correlators in terms of certain double-trace interactions generated by the RG flow in the low energy CFT.

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arXiv2010

Magnetic Field Induced Quantum Criticality via new Asymptotically AdS_5 Solutions

Using analytical methods, we derive and extend previously obtained numerical results on the low temperature properties of holographic duals to four-dimensional gauge theories at finite density in a nonzero magnetic field. We find a new asymptotically AdS_5 solution representing the system at zero temperature. This solution has vanishing entropy density, and the charge density in the bulk is carried entirely by fluxes. The dimensionless magnetic field to charge density ratio for these solutions is bounded from below, with a quantum critical point appearing at the lower bound. Using matched asymptotic expansions, we extract the low temperature thermodynamics of the system. Above the critical magnetic field, the low temperature entropy density takes a simple form, linear in the temperature, and with a specific heat coefficient diverging at the critical point. At the critical magnetic field, we derive the scaling law s ~ T^{1/3} inferred previously from numerical analysis. We also compute the full scaling function describing the region near the critical point, and identify the dynamical critical exponent: z=3. These solutions are expected to holographically represent boundary theories in which strongly interacting fermions are filling up a Fermi sea. They are fully top-down constructions in which both the bulk and boundary theories have well known embeddings in string theory.

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arXiv2010

Magnetic Brane Solutions in AdS

We construct asymptotically AdS_5 solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory dual to N=4 SYM theory on R^{3,1} in the presence of a background magnetic field. The solutions interpolate between AdS_5 and a near horizon AdS_3\times T^2. The central charge of the near horizon region, and hence low temperature entropy of the solution, is found to be \sqrt{4\over 3} times that of free N=4 SYM theory. The entropy vanishes at zero temperature. We also present the generalization of these solutions to arbitrary spacetime dimensionality.

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arXiv2010

Holographic Metamagnetism, Quantum Criticality, and Crossover Behavior

Using high-precision numerical analysis, we show that 3+1 dimensional gauge theories holographically dual to 4+1 dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory undergo a quantum phase transition in the presence of a finite charge density and magnetic field. The quantum critical theory has dynamical scaling exponent z=3, and is reached by tuning a relevant operator of scaling dimension 2. For magnetic field B above the critical value B_c, the system behaves as a Fermi liquid. As the magnetic field approaches B_c from the high field side, the specific heat coefficient diverges as 1/(B-B_c), and non-Fermi liquid behavior sets in. For B<B_c the entropy density s becomes non-vanishing at zero temperature, and scales according to s \sim \sqrt{B_c - B}. At B=B_c, and for small non-zero temperature T, a new scaling law sets in for which s\sim T^{1/3}. Throughout a small region surrounding the quantum critical point, the ratio s/T^{1/3} is given by a universal scaling function which depends only on the ratio (B-B_c)/T^{2/3}. The quantum phase transition involves non-analytic behavior of the specific heat and magnetization but no change of symmetry. Above the critical field, our numerical results are consistent with those predicted by the Hertz/Millis theory applied to metamagnetic quantum phase transitions, which also describe non-analytic changes in magnetization without change of symmetry. Such transitions have been the subject of much experimental investigation recently, especially in the compound Sr_3 Ru_2 O_7, and we comment on the connections.

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arXiv2010

Charged Magnetic Brane Solutions in AdS_5 and the fate of the third law of thermodynamics

We construct asymptotically AdS_5 solutions to 5-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory with Chern-Simons term which are dual to 4-dimensional gauge theories, including N=4 SYM theory, in the presence of a constant background magnetic field B and a uniform electric charge density ρ. For the solutions corresponding to supersymmetric gauge theories, we find numerically that a small magnetic field causes a drastic decrease in the entropy at low temperatures. The near-horizon AdS_2 \times R^3 geometry of the purely electrically charged brane thus appears to be unstable under the addition of a small magnetic field. Based on this observation, we propose a formulation of the third law of thermodynamics (or Nernst theorem) that can be applied to black holes in the AdS/CFT context. We also find interesting behavior for smaller, non-supersymmetric, values of the Chern-Simons coupling k. For k=1 we exhibit exact solutions corresponding to warped AdS_3 black holes, and show that these can be connected to asymptotically AdS_5 spacetime. For k\leq 1 the entropy appears to go to a finite value at extremality, but the solutions still exhibit a mild singularity at strictly zero temperature. In addition to our numerics, we carry out a complete perturbative analysis valid to order B^2, and find that this corroborates our numerical results insofar as they overlap.

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arXiv2010

Open Worldsheets for Holographic Interfaces

Type IIB supergravity admits Janus and multi-Janus solutions with eight unbroken supersymmetries that are locally asymptotic to AdS_3 x S^3 x M_4 (where M_4 is either T^4 or K_3). These solutions are dual to two or more CFTs defined on half-planes which share a common line interface. Their geometry consists of an AdS_2 x S^2 x M_4 fibration over a simply connected Riemann surface Sigma with boundary. In the present paper, we show that regular exact solutions exist also for surfaces Sigma which are not simply connected. Specifically, we construct in detail solutions for which Sigma has the topology of an annulus. This construction is generalized to produce solutions for any surface Sigma with the topology of an open string worldsheet with g holes.

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arXiv2010

Rigidity of SU(2,2|2)-symmetric solutions in Type IIB

We investigate the existence of half-BPS solutions in Type IIB supergravity which are invariant under the superalgebra SU(2,2|2) realized on either AdS_5 x S^2 x S^1 or AdS_5 x S^3 warped over a Riemann surface Σwith boundary. We prove that, in both cases, the only solution is AdS_5 x S^5 itself. We argue that this result provides evidence for the non-existence of fully back-reacted intersecting D3/D7 branes with either AdS_5 x S^2 x S^1 x Σor AdS_5 x S^3 x Σnear-horizon limits.

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arXiv2009

Exact Half-BPS Flux Solutions in M-theory III: Existence and rigidity of global solutions asymptotic to AdS4 x S7

The BPS equations in M-theory for solutions with 16 residual supersymmetries, $SO(2,2)\times SO(4)\times SO(4)$ symmetry, and $AdS_4 \times S^7$ asymptotics, were reduced in [arXiv:0806.0605] to a linear first order partial differential equation on a Riemann surface with boundary, subject to a non-trivial quadratic constraint. In the present paper, suitable regularity and boundary conditions are imposed for the existence of global solutions. We seek regular solutions with multiple distinct asymptotic $AdS_4 \times S^7$ regions, but find that, remarkably, such solutions invariably reduce to multiple covers of the M-Janus solution found by the authors in [arXiv:0904.3313], suggesting rigidity of the half-BPS M-Janus solution. In particular, we prove analytically that no other smooth deformations away from the M-Janus solution exist, as such deformations invariably violate the quadratic constraint. These rigidity results are contrasted to the existence of half-BPS solutions with non-trivial 4-form fluxes and charges asymptotic to $AdS_7 \times S^4$. The results are related to the possibility of M2-branes to end on M5-branes, but the impossibility of M5-branes to end on M2-branes, and to the non-existence of half-BPS solutions with simultaneous $AdS_4 \times S^7$ and $AdS_7 \times S^4$ asymptotic regions.

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arXiv2009

Janus solutions in M-theory

We present a one-parameter deformation of the AdS_{4} x S^{7} vacuum, which is a regular solution in M-theory, invariant under SO(2,2) x SO(4) x SO(4), and which preserves 16 supersymmetries. The solution corresponds to a holographic realization of a Janus-like interface/defect theory, despite the absence of a dilaton in M-theory. The 2+1-dimensional CFT dual results from the maximally symmetric CFT through the insertion of a dimension 2 operator which is localized along a 1+1-dimensional linear interface/defect, thereby partially breaking the superconformal symmetry. The solution admits a regular ABJM reduction to a quotient solution which is invariant under SO(2,2) x SO(4) x U(1)^2, preserves 12 supersymmetries, and provides a Janus-like interface/defect solution in ABJM theory.

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arXiv2008

Exact Half-BPS Flux Solutions in M-theory II: Global solutions asymptotic to AdS_7 x S^4

General local half-BPS solutions in M-theory, which have $SO(2,2)\times SO(4)\times SO(4)$ symmetry and are asymptotic to $AdS_{7}\times S^{4}$, were constructed in exact form by the authors in [arXiv:0806.0605]. In the present paper, suitable regularity conditions are imposed on these local solutions, and corresponding globally well-defined solutions are explicitly constructed. The physical properties of these solutions are analyzed, and interpreted in terms of the gravity duals to extended 1+1-dimensional half-BPS defects in the 6-dimensional CFT with maximal supersymmetry.

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