Two different conformal field theories can be joined together along a defect line. We study such defects for the case where the conformal field theories on either side are single free bosons compactified on a circle. We concentrate on topological defects for which the left- and right-moving Virasoro algebras are separately preserved, but not necessarily any additional symmetries. For the case where both radii are rational multiples of the self-dual radius we classify these topological defects. We also show that the isomorphism between two T-dual free boson conformal field theories can be described by the action of a topological defect, and hence that T-duality can be understood as a special type of order-disorder duality.
We present a Lorentzian inversion formula valid for any defect CFT that extracts the bulk channel CFT data as an analytic function of the spin variable. This result complements the already obtained inversion formula for the corresponding defect channel, and makes it now possible to implement the analytic bootstrap program for defect CFT, by going back and forth between both channels. A crucial role in our derivation is played by the Calogero-Sutherland description of defect blocks which we review. As first applications we obtain the large-spin limit of bulk CFT data necessary to reproduce the …
We study defects of various dimensions moving through Anti-de Sitter space. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence this allows us to probe aspects of the dual quantum field theory. We focus on the energy loss experienced by these defects as they move through the CFT plasma. We find that the behavior of these physical quantities is governed by induced world-volume horizons. We identify world-volume analogs for several gravitational phenomena including black holes, the Hawking-Page phase transition and expanding cosmological horizons.
We study the gravitational description of conformal half-BPS domain wall operators in N=4 SYM, which are described by defect CFT's. These defect CFT's arise in the low energy limit of a Hanany-Witten like brane setup and are described in a probe brane approximation by a Karch-Randall brane configuration. The gravitational backreaction takes the five-branes in AdS_5xS^5 through a geometric transition and turns them into appropriate fluxes which are supported on non-trivial three-spheres.
The AdS/dCFT correspondence is used to show that a planar q-dimensional superconformal CFT defect expands, under the addition of electric charge and angular momentum, to a supersymmetric higher-dimensional defect of geometry R^q x C, where C is an arbitrary curve. The dual string theory process is the expansion of D-branes and fundamental strings into a supertube in an AdS background.
Surface operators are among the most important observables of the 6d $\mathcal{N} = (2,0)$ theory. Here we apply the tools of defect CFT to study local operator insertions into the 1/2-BPS plane. We first relate the 2-point function of the displacement operator to the expectation value of the bulk stress tensor and translate this relation into a constraint on the anomaly coefficients associated with the defect. Secondly, we study the defect operator expansion of the stress tensor multiplet and identify several new operators of the defect CFT. Technical results derived along the way include the…
We present a dispersion relation for defect CFT that reconstructs two-point functions in the presence of a defect as an integral of a single discontinuity. The main virtue of this formula is that it streamlines explicit bootstrap calculations, bypassing the resummation of conformal blocks. As applications we reproduce known results for monodromy defects in the epsilon-expansion, and present new results for the supersymmetric Wilson line at strong coupling in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. In particular, we derive a new analytic formula for the highest $R$-symmetry channel of single-trace operators of ar…
We develop a first order formalism for constructing gravitational duals of conformal defects in a bottom up approach. Similarly as for the flat domain walls a single function specifies the solution completely. Using this formalism we construct several novel families of analytic solutions dual to conformal interfaces and boundaries. As a sample application we study the boundary OPE and entanglement entropy for one of the found defects.
We consider a two-dimensional fermion on the strip in the presence of an arbitrary number of zero-dimensional boundary changing defects. We show that the theory is still conformal with time dependent stress-energy tensor and that the allowed defects can be understood as excited spin fields. Finally we compute correlation functions involving these excited spin fields without using bosonization.
The D3-D5 probe-brane system is holographically dual to a defect CFT which is known to be integrable. The evidence comes mainly from the study of correlation functions at weak coupling. In the present work we shed light on the emergence of integrability on the string theory side. We do so by constructing the double row transfer matrix which is conserved when the appropriate boundary conditions are imposed. The corresponding reflection matrix turns out to be dynamical and depends both on the spectral parameter and the string embedding coordinates.
Institute of Modern Physics, Northwest University（西北大学现代物理研究所）；NSFC-SPTP Peng Huanwu Center for Fundamental Theory（国家自然科学基金委-中子散射技术彭桓武基础理论中心）；Department of Physics, Great Bay University（大湾区大学物理系）
In this letter we study how the exact non-perturbative integrability methods in 4D N=4 Super-Yang-Mills can work efficiently together with the numerical conformal bootstrap techniques to go beyond the spectral observables and access previously unreachable quantities such as correlation functions at finite coupling. In the setup of 1D defect CFT living on a Maldacena-Wilson line, we managed to compute with good precision a non-supersymmetric structure constant for a wide range of the `t Hooft coupling. Our result is particularly precise at strong coupling and matches well with the recent analyt…
We generalize the Mellin representation for a generic co-dimension flat defect CFT. We study the analytic structure of the Mellin amplitudes. We also compute Witten diagrams for a generic co-dimension flat defect CFT.
We study the localization of gravity on string-like defects in codimension two. We point out that the gravity-localizing `local cosmic string' spacetime has an orbifold singularity at the horizon. The supergravity embedding and the AdS/CFT correspondence suggest ways to resolve the singularity. We find two resolutions of the singularity that have a semiclassical gravity description and study their effect on the low-energy physics on the defect. The first resolution leads, at long distances, to a codimension one Randall-Sundrum scenario. In the second case, the infrared physics is like that of …
We study the two-point function of local operators in the presence of a defect in a generic conformal field theory. We define two pairs of cross ratios, which are convenient in the analysis of the OPE in the bulk and defect channel respectively. The new coordinates have a simple geometric interpretation, which can be exploited to efficiently compute conformal blocks in a power expansion. We illustrate this fact in the case of scalar external operators. We also elucidate the convergence properties of the bulk and defect OPE decompositions of the two-point function. In particular, we remark that…
Conformal symmetry is broken by a flat or spherical defect operator $\mathcal{D}$. We show that this defect operator, may be identified as a pair of twist operators which are inserted at the tips of its causal diamond. Any $k-$point correlation function in a flat or spherical defect CFT is equivalent to a $(k+2)-$point correlation function. We reproduce one point correlation functions and also solve two point correlation functions in defect CFTs . Mutual Rényi entropy is computed and agrees with previous result in a certain limit. We conjecture there may be universal terms in general co-dimens…
We initiate the study of intersecting surface operators/defects in four-dimensional quantum field theories (QFTs). We characterize these defects by coupled 4d/2d/0d theories constructed by coupling the degrees of freedom localized at a point and on intersecting surfaces in spacetime to each other and to the four-dimensional QFT. We construct supersymmetric intersecting surface defects preserving just two supercharges in N = 2 gauge theories. These defects are amenable to exact analysis by localization of the partition function of the underlying 4d/2d/0d QFT. We identify the 4d/2d/0d QFTs that …
We study whether the relations between the Weyl anomaly, entanglement entropy (EE), and thermal entropy of a two-dimensional (2D) conformal field theory (CFT) extend to 2D boundaries of 3D CFTs, or 2D defects of $D \geq 3$ CFTs. The Weyl anomaly of a 2D boundary or defect defines two or three central charges, respectively. One of these, $b$, obeys a c-theorem, as in 2D CFT. For a 2D defect, we show that another, $d_2$, interpreted as the defect's `conformal dimension,' must be non-negative by the Averaged Null Energy Condition (ANEC). We show that the EE of a sphere centered on a planar defect…
Boundaries and defects in conformal field theories at finite temperature
Università di Parma（帕尔马大学）；INFN Gruppo Collegato di Parma（意大利国家核物理研究所帕尔马协作组）；Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino（都灵大学物理系）；INFN, Sezione di Torino（意大利国家核物理研究所都灵分部）
We advance a correspondence between the topological defect operators in Liouville and Toda conformal field theories - which we construct - and loop operators and domain wall operators in four dimensional N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on S^4. Our computation of the correlation functions in Liouville/Toda theory in the presence of topological defect operators, which are supported on curves on the Riemann surface, yields the exact answer for the partition function of four dimensional gauge theories in the presence of various walls and loop operators; results which we can quantitatively substa…
We consider perturbation defects obtained by perturbing a 2D conformal field theory (CFT) by a relevant operator on a half-plane. If the perturbed bulk theory flows to an infrared fixed point described by another CFT, the defect flows to a conformal defect between the ultraviolet and infrared fixed point CFTs. For short bulk renormalization group flows connecting two fixed points which are close in theory space we find a universal perturbative formula for the boundary entropy of the corresponding conformal perturbation defect. We compare the value of the boundary entropy that our formula gives…
We compute a set of correlation functions of operator insertions on the 1/8 BPS Wilson loop in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM by employing supersymmetric localization, OPE and the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. These correlators exhibit a simple determinant structure, are position-independent and form a topological subsector, but depend nontrivially on the 't Hooft coupling and the rank of the gauge group. When applied to the 1/2 BPS circular (or straight) Wilson loop, our results provide an infinite family of exact defect CFT data, including the structure constants of protected defect primaries of arbi…
We study the spectrum of local operators living on a defect in a generic conformal field theory, and their coupling to the local bulk operators. We establish the existence of universal accumulation points in the spectrum at large $s$, $s$ being the charge of the operators under rotations in the space transverse to the defect. Our tools include a formula that inverts the bulk to defect OPE, analogous to the Caron-Huot formula for the four-point function. Analyticity of the formula in $s$ implies that the scaling dimensions of the defect operators are aligned in Regge trajectories $\widehatΔ(s)$…
Surface operators in the 6d (2,0) theory at large $N$ have a holographic description in terms of M2 branes probing the AdS$_7 \times S^4$ M-theory background. The most symmetric, 1/2-BPS, operator is defined over a planar or spherical surface, and it preserves a 2d superconformal group. This includes, in particular, an $SO(2,2)$ subgroup of 2d conformal transformations, so that the surface operator may be viewed as a conformal defect in the 6d theory. The dual M2 brane has an AdS$_3$ induced geometry, reflecting the 2d conformal symmetry. Here we use the holographic description to extract the …
We continue to develop Bootstrability -- a method merging Integrability and Conformal Bootstrap to extract CFT data in integrable conformal gauge theories such as $\mathcal{N}$=4 SYM. In this paper, we consider the 1D defect CFT defined on a $\frac{1}{2}$-BPS Wilson line in the theory, whose non-perturbative spectrum is governed by the Quantum Spectral Curve (QSC). In addition, we use that the deformed setup of a cusped Wilson line is also controlled by the QSC. In terms of the defect CFT, this translates into two nontrivial relations connecting integrated 4-point correlators to cusp spectral …
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 setting up the crossing equati…
We perform exact computations of correlation functions of 1/2-BPS local operators and protected operator insertions on the 1/8-BPS Wilson loop in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. This generalizes the results of our previous paper arXiv:1802.05201, which employs supersymmetric localization, OPE and the Gram-Schmidt process. In particular, we conduct a detailed analysis for the 1/2-BPS circular (or straight) Wilson loop in the planar limit, which defines an interesting nontrivial defect CFT. We compute its bulk-defect structure constants at finite 't Hooft coupling, and present simple integral expressions i…
This paper is designed to be a practical tool for constructing and investigating two-point correlation functions in defect conformal field theory, directly in physical space, between any two bulk primaries or between a bulk primary and a defect primary, with arbitrary spin. Although geometrically elegant and ultimately a more powerful approach, the embedding space formalism gets rather cumbersome when dealing with mixed symmetry tensors, especially in the projection to physical space. The results in this paper provide an alternative method for studying two-point correlation functions for a gen…
We study local operator insertions on 1/2-BPS line defects in ABJM theory. Specifically, we consider a class of four-point correlators in the CFT$_1$ with SU$(1, 1|3)$ superconformal symmetry defined on the 1/2-BPS Wilson line. The relevant insertions belong to the short supermultiplet containing the displacement operator and correspond to fluctuations of the dual fundamental string in AdS$_4 \times \mathbb{C}\textrm{P}^3$ ending on the line at the boundary. We use superspace techniques to represent the displacement supermultiplet and we show that superconformal symmetry determines the four-po…
Conformal defects describe the universal behaviors of a conformal field theory (CFT) in the presence of a boundary or more general impurities. The coupled critical system is characterized by new conformal anomalies which are analogous to, and generalize those of standalone CFTs. Here we study the conformal $a$- and $c$-anomalies of four dimensional defects in CFTs of general spacetime dimensions greater than four. We prove that under unitary defect renormalization group (RG) flows, the defect $a$-anomaly must decrease, thus establishing the defect $a$-theorem. For conformal defects preserving …
We consider four dimensional $U(N)$ $\mathcal N=4$ SYM theory interacting with a 3d $\mathcal N=4$ theory living on a codimension-one interface and holographically dual to the D3-D5 system without flux. Localization captures several observables in this dCFT, including its free energy, related to the defect expectation value, and single trace $\frac{1}{2}$-BPS composite scalars. These quantities may be computed in a hermitian one-matrix model with non-polynomial single-trace potential. We exploit the integrable Volterra hierarchy underlying the matrix model and systematically study its $1/N$ ex…
We study topological defect lines in two character rational conformal field theories. Among them one set of two character theories are commutant pairs in $E_{8,1}$ conformal field theory. Using these defect lines we construct defect partition function in the $E_8$ theory. We find that the defects preserve only a part of the $E_8$ current algebra symmetry. We also determine the defect partition function in $c=24$ CFTs using these defects lines of 2 character theories and we find that, with appropriate choice of commutant pairs, these defects preserve all current algebra symmetries of c = 24 CFT…
Given two two-dimensional conformal field theories, a domain wall -- or defect line -- between them is called invertible if there is another defect with which it fuses to the identity defect. A defect is called topological if it is transparent to the stress tensor. A conformal isomorphism between the two CFTs is a linear isomorphism between their state spaces which preserves the stress tensor and is compatible with the operator product expansion. We show that for rational CFTs there is a one-to-one correspondence between invertible topological defects and conformal isomorphisms if both preserv…
In this paper we continue our study f the exact solution in open bosonic string field theory. We present new solution in the string field theory defined on the background corresponding to the boundary conformal field theory describing D25-brane. Then we will study the fluctuation modes around this solution and we determine their basic properties from the linearised equation of motion of the string field theory defined above the classical solution.
We explore a new class of AdS$_3$ solutions in massive type IIA supergravity preserving $\mathcal{N} = (0,6)$ supersymmetry and realising an $\mathfrak{osp}(6|2)$ superconformal algebra. These solutions exhibit an SO(6)-symmetric internal space constructed from a $\mathbb{CP}^3$, and are fully specified by a single cubic function controlling the fluxes and warping. We propose a brane box configuration underlying the solutions from which we construct a two-dimensional quiver gauge theory whose anomaly structure and central charge we analyse, and from which we can realise Seiberg-like dualities …
The interpretation of D-branes in terms of open strings has lead to much interest in boundary conditions of two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). These studies have deepened our understanding of CFT and allowed us to develop new computational tools. The construction of CFT correlators based on combining tools from topological field theory and non-commutative algebra in tensor categories, which we summarize in this contribution, allows e.g. to discuss, apart from boundary conditions, also defect lines and disorder fields.
Aspects of Witten Diagrams for Holographic Defects
Theoretical Physics Department, CERN（CERN理论物理部）；Department of Mathematics and Physics University of Haifa at Oranim（奥拉尼姆海法大学数学与物理系）；Department of Physics and Haifa Center for Physics and Astrophysics, University of Haifa（海法大学物理系和海法物理与天体物理中心）
