arXiv subjects

Pietro Benetti Genolini

Publications and source records attributed to Pietro Benetti Genolini.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Supersymmetric phases of AdS$_4$/CFT$_3$

We exhibit an infinite family of supersymmetric phases in the three-dimensional ABJM superconformal field theory and the dual asymptotically AdS$_4$ gravity. They are interpreted as partially deconfined phases which generalize the confined/pure AdS phase and deconfined/supersymmetric black hole phase. Our analysis involves finding a family of saddle-points of the superconformal index labelled by rational points (equivalently, roots of unity), separately in the bulk and boundary theories. In the ABJM theory we calculate the free energy of each saddle by the large-$N$ asymptotic expansion of the superconformal index to all orders in perturbation theory near the saddle-point. We find that this expansion terminates at finite order. In the gravitational theory we show that there is a corresponding family of solutions, constructed by orbifolding the eleven-dimensional uplift of the supersymmetric black hole. The on-shell gravitational action of each orbifold agrees with the free energy of the corresponding saddle in the SCFT. We find that there are two saddles in the ABJM theory with the same entropy as the supersymmetric black hole, corresponding to the two primitive fourth-roots of unity, which causes macroscopic oscillations in the microcanonical index.

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arXiv2023

Magnetic charge and black hole supersymmetric quantum statistical relation

We study the thermodynamics in the BPS limit of AdS black holes realizing the topological twist. We use a limiting procedure that allows us to reach the extremal point along a trajectory in the space of supersymmetric Euclidean solutions. We show that on this space we can write a quantum statistical relation, which is well-defined in the BPS limit and relies on imposing a suitable constraint among the chemical potentials, due to supersymmetry and regularity. We stress the importance of this in relating the thermal partition function of the dual field theory to the topologically twisted index.

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arXiv2022

Wrapped $M5$-branes and complex saddle points

We study the effects of the introduction of a $\vartheta$ term in minimal gauged supergravity in four dimensions. We show why this term is not present in supergravity duals of field theories arising on wrapped $M2$-branes, but is there in the case of $M5$-branes wrapping hyperbolic manifolds $Σ_3$, and compute the higher-derivative corrections. Having proved that the on-shell supergravity action of any supersymmetric solution can be expressed in terms of data from the fixed points of a Killing vector, we show that it is proportional to a complex topological invariant of $Σ_3$. This is consistent with the characteristics of the dual three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ SCFT predicted by the $3d$-$3d$ correspondence, and we match the large $N$ limit of its partition functions in the known cases.

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arXiv2021

The Supersymmetry of Higher-Derivative Supergravity in AdS$_4$ Holography

An action for the higher-derivative corrections to minimal gauged supergravity in four dimensions has been recently proposed. We demonstrate that the supersymmetric solutions of this model are those of the two-derivative action, and investigate some of their properties. In particular, we prove a formula for the renormalised on-shell action in terms of contributions from fixed points of a $U(1)$ action, and confirm that it is invariant under deformations which preserve the boundary almost contact structure.

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arXiv2020

Instantons, Symmetries and Anomalies in Five Dimensions

All five-dimensional non-abelian gauge theories have a $U(1)_I$ global symmetry associated with instantonic particles. We describe an obstruction to coupling $U(1)_I$ to a classical background gauge field that occurs whenever the theory has a one-form center symmetry. This is a finite-order mixed 't Hooft anomaly between the two symmetries. We also show that a similar obstruction takes place in gauge theories with fundamental matter by studying twisted bundles for the ordinary flavor symmetry. We explore some general dynamical properties of the candidate phases implied by the anomaly. Finally, we apply our results to supersymmetric gauge theories in five dimensions and analyze the symmetry enhancement patterns occurring at their conjectured RG fixed points.

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arXiv2020

Boundary Conditions in Topological AdS$_4$/CFT$_3$

We revisit the construction in four-dimensional gauged $Spin(4)$ supergravity of the holographic duals to topologically twisted three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ field theories. Our focus in this paper is to highlight some subtleties related to preserving supersymmetry in AdS/CFT, namely the inclusion of finite counterterms and the necessity of a Legendre transformation to find the dual to the field theory generating functional. Studying the geometry of these supergravity solutions, we conclude that the gravitational free energy is indeed independent from the metric of the boundary, and it vanishes for any smooth solution.

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arXiv2020

Evidence for a Non-Supersymmetric 5d CFT from Deformations of 5d $SU(2)$ SYM

We study supersymmetry breaking deformations of the $\mathcal{N}=1$ 5d fixed point known as $E_1$, the UV completion of $SU(2)$ super-Yang-Mills. The phases of the non-supersymmetric theory can be characterized by Chern-Simons terms involving background $U(1)$ gauge fields, allowing us to identify a phase transition at strong coupling. We propose that this may signify the emergence of a non-trivial, non-supersymmetric CFT in $d=4+1$ dimensions.

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arXiv2019

Topological AdS/CFT and the $Ω$ deformation

In this note, we define a holographic dual to four-dimensional superconformal field theories formulated on arbitrary Riemannian manifolds equipped with a Killing vector. Moreover, assuming smoothness of the bulk solution, we study the variation of the holographically renormalized supergravity action in the class of metrics on the boundary four-manifold with a prescribed isometry.

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arXiv2019

Topological AdS/CFT

We define a holographic dual to the Donaldson-Witten topological twist of $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories on a Riemannian four-manifold. This is described by a class of asymptotically locally hyperbolic solutions to $\mathcal{N}=4$ gauged supergravity in five dimensions, with the four-manifold as conformal boundary. Under AdS/CFT, minus the logarithm of the partition function of the gauge theory is identified with the holographically renormalized supergravity action. We show that the latter is independent of the metric on the boundary four-manifold, as required for a topological theory. Supersymmetric solutions in the bulk satisfy first order differential equations for a twisted $Sp(1)$ structure, which extends the quaternionic Kahler structure that exists on any Riemannian four-manifold boundary. We comment on applications and extensions, including generalizations to other topological twists.

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arXiv2019

Localization of the action in AdS/CFT

We derive a simple formula for the action of any supersymmetric solution to minimal gauged supergravity in the AdS$_4$/CFT$_3$ correspondence. Such solutions are equipped with a supersymmetric Killing vector, and we show that the holographically renormalized action may be expressed entirely in terms of the weights of this vector field at its fixed points, together with certain topological data. In this sense, the classical gravitational partition function localizes in the bulk. We illustrate our general formula with a number of explicit examples, in which exact dual field theory computations are also available, which include supersymmetric Taub-NUT and Taub-bolt type spacetimes, as well as black hole solutions. Our simple topological formula also allows us to write down the action of any solution, provided it exists.

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arXiv2018

Gravitational free energy in topological AdS/CFT

We define and study a holographic dual to the topological twist of $\mathcal{N}=4$ gauge theories on Riemannian three-manifolds. The gravity duals are solutions to four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ gauged supergravity, where the three-manifold arises as a conformal boundary. Following our previous work, we show that the renormalized gravitational free energy of such solutions is independent of the boundary three-metric, as required for a topological theory. We then go further, analyzing the geometry of supersymmetric bulk solutions. Remarkably, we are able to show that the gravitational free energy of any smooth four-manifold filling of any three-manifold is always zero. Aided by this analysis, we prove a similar result for topological AdS$_5$/CFT$_4$. We comment on the implications of these results for the large $N$ limits of topologically twisted gauge theories in three and four dimensions, including the ABJM theory and $\mathcal{N}=4$ $SU(N)$ super-Yang-Mills, respectively.

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arXiv2017

Refined 3d-3d Correspondence

We explore aspects of the correspondence between Seifert 3-manifolds and 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetric theories with a distinguished abelian flavour symmetry. We give a prescription for computing the squashed three-sphere partition functions of such 3d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories constructed from boundary conditions and interfaces in a 4d $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ theory, mirroring the construction of Seifert manifold invariants via Dehn surgery. This is extended to include links in the Seifert manifold by the insertion of supersymmetric Wilson-'t Hooft loops in the 4d $\mathcal{N}=2^*$ theory. In the presence of a mass parameter for the distinguished flavour symmetry, we recover aspects of refined Chern-Simons theory with complex gauge group, and in particular construct an analytic continuation of the $S$-matrix of refined Chern-Simons theory.

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arXiv2017

Holographic renormalization and supersymmetry

Holographic renormalization is a systematic procedure for regulating divergences in observables in asymptotically locally AdS spacetimes. For dual boundary field theories which are supersymmetric it is natural to ask whether this defines a supersymmetric renormalization scheme. Recent results in localization have brought this question into sharp focus: rigid supersymmetry on a curved boundary requires specific geometric structures, and general arguments imply that BPS observables, such as the partition function, are invariant under certain deformations of these structures. One can then ask if the dual holographic observables are similarly invariant. We study this question in minimal N = 2 gauged supergravity in four and five dimensions. In four dimensions we show that holographic renormalization precisely reproduces the expected field theory results. In five dimensions we find that no choice of standard holographic counterterms is compatible with supersymmetry, which leads us to introduce novel finite boundary terms. For a class of solutions satisfying certain topological assumptions we provide some independent tests of these new boundary terms, in particular showing that they reproduce the expected VEVs of conserved charges.

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arXiv2016

The holographic supersymmetric Casimir energy

We consider a general class of asymptotically locally AdS_5 solutions of minimal gauged supergravity, that are dual to superconformal field theories on curved backgrounds S^1 x M_3 preserving two supercharges. We demonstrate that standard holographic renormalization corresponds to a scheme that breaks supersymmetry. We propose new boundary terms that restore supersymmetry, and show that for smooth solutions with topology S^1 x R^4 the improved on-shell action reproduces both the supersymmetric Casimir energy and the field theory BPS relation between charges.

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arXiv2015

Supersymmetric gauge theories on five-manifolds

We construct rigid supersymmetric gauge theories on Riemannian five-manifolds. We follow a holographic approach, realizing the manifold as the conformal boundary of a six-dimensional bulk supergravity solution. This leads to a systematic classification of five-dimensional supersymmetric backgrounds with gravity duals. We show that the background metric is furnished with a conformal Killing vector, which generates a transversely holomorphic foliation with a transverse Hermitian structure. Moreover, we prove that any such metric defines a supersymmetric background. Finally, we construct supersymmetric Lagrangians for gauge theories coupled to arbitrary matter on such backgrounds.

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