We study the SUSY/non-SUSY duality proposed by Aganagic et al. from Type IIA string and M-theory perspectives. We find that our brane configuration generalizes the so-called $extended$ Seiberg-Witten theory on the one hand, and provides a way to realize non-SUSY vacua by intersecting NS5-branes on the other hand. We also argue how the partial SUSY breaking from $\Ncal=2$ down to $\Ncal=1$ can be clearly visualized through the brane picture.
We clarify some ambiguous points in a derivation of duality via brane exchange using M-theory language, and propose a ``proof'' of duality in MQCD. Actually, duality in MQCD is rather trivial and does not need a complicated proof. The problem is how to interpret it in field theory language. We examine BPS states in N=2 theory and find the particle correspondence under duality. In the process, we also find some exotic particles in N=2 MQCD, and we observe an interesting phenomenon in type IIA string theory, namely, that fundamental strings are converted into D2-branes via the exchange of two NS…
The curves that describe the M-theoretic extension of type IIA string configurations with non-supersymmetric field theories on their surface exhibit a duality map. The map suggests a continued link between a SU(N) gauge theory with F flavours and an SU(F-N) gauge theory with F flavours (the duality of supersymmetric QCD) even when the gaugino mass is taken to infinity. Within the context of the field theory such a duality only continues to make sense if the scalar fields remain light. We discuss the difficulties of decoupling the scalars within this framework.
We consider the geometrical engineering of the non-supersymmetric metastable vacua of N = 1 super Yang-Mills proposed in hep-th/0602239 and hep-th/0610249. By T-duality they become N = 1 brane configurations. The identifications between gluino condensation and the geometry sizes for the configurations of hep-th/0610249 are studied by proceeding through the usual MQCD transitions. The geometrical description of the Seiberg dualities for the theories of hep-th/0602239 involves new types of modifications of the complex structure for the resolutions of N = 2 singularities.
We review M-theory description of 4d N=2 SQCD. Configurations of M-theory fivebranes relevant to describe the moduli spaces of the Coulomb and Higgs branches are studied using the Taub-NUT geometry. Minimal area membranes related with the BPS states of N=2 SQCD are given explicitly. They almost saturate the BPS bounds. The deviation from the bounds is due to their boundary condition constrained by the fivebrane. The electric-magnetic duality at the baryonic branch root is also examined from the M-theory viewpoint. In this course, novel concepts such as creation of brane and exchange of branes …
We describe type $II_A$ cosmological brane inflation scenarios based on the holographic MQCD model of Aharony et al \cite{Aharony:2010mi}. The scenarios can be related via T-duality to the type $II_B$ KKLMMT model \cite{Kachru:2003sx}. They describe a probe brane configuration of $p$ D4 branes stretching between an $NS5$ and $NS5'$ branes in the holographic background of large $N$ D4 branes. The resulting cosmological models have a Wick-rotated D4-brane metric, with transverse dimensions compactified, and a spiralling brane with flux $p$. In one model, the background has a small nonextremality…
We study the vacuum structure of the U(N) gauge model with partially broken N=2 supersymmetry. From the analysis of the classical vacua of this model, we point out that in addition to the ordinary N=1 supersymmetric vacua, there are vacua with negative gauge coupling constants, which preserve another N=1 supersymmetry. These latter vacua can be analyzed by using SUSY/non-SUSY duality which is recently proposed by Aganagic, Beem, Seo and Vafa. A dual description of these in UV is U(N) gauge theory where the supersymmetry is broken by spurion superfields. Following them, we see that there are su…
We present a dual description for $SU(N)$ supersymmetric gauge theory with an antisymmetric tensor and fundamentals, and no superpotential. This duality is derived from the dualities of Seiberg. Under a perturbation of the superpotential, the dual theory breaks supersymmetry at tree level.
We introduce a realization of Seiberg duality in MQCD that does not involve moving branes. Using related arguments in M Theory and IIA, we investigate the flavor symmetry breaking via flavored magnetic monopole condensation of hep-th/0005076. We verify our results by considering visualizations of M5 branes corresponding to $\N=2$ vacua which survive soft breaking by an adjoint mass term.
We suggest an alternative approach to deconfine N =1 SU(N) supersymmetric gauge theory with a symmetric tensor, fundamentals, anti-fundamentals, and no superpotential. It is found that although the dual prescription derived by this new method of deconfinement is different from that by the original method, both dual prescriptions are connected by duality transformations. By deforming the theory, it is shown that both dual theories flow properly so that the Seiberg's duality is preserved.
After an introduction to N=2 susy Yang-Mills theories, I review in some detail, for the SU(2) gauge group, how the low-energy effective action is obtained using duality and the constraints arising from the supersymmetry. Then I discuss how knowledge of this action, duality and certain discrete symmetries allow us to determine the spectra of stable BPS states at any point in moduli space. This is done for gauge group SU(2), without and with fundamental matter hypermultiplets which may have non-vanishing bare masses. In the latter case non-trivial four-dimensional CFTs arise at Argyres-Douglas t…
We elaborate on the recently discovered spinor-vector duality in realistic free fermionic heterotic vacua. We emphasize the interpretation of the freely-acting orbifolds carried out on the six internal dimensions as coordinate-dependent compactifications; they play a central role in the duality, especially because of their ability to break the right-moving superconformal algebra of the space-time supersymmetric heterotic vacua. These considerations lead to a simple and intuitive proof of the spinor-vector duality, and to the formulation of explicit rules to find the dual of a given model. We d…
We consider the action of a non-abelian T-duality on backgrounds with an AdS${}_5$ factor in type IIA supergravity, finding a new type IIB background, as well as the non-abelian T-dual of a domain wall solution which has as limits the non-abelian T-dual of $AdS_5\times T^{1,1}$ and the non-abelian T-dual of $AdS_3\times \mathbb{R}^2\times S^2\times S^3$. We explore some consequences of non-abelian T-duality for the dual conformal field theories.
We study N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory with gauge group SU(2) compactified to three dimensions on a circle of circumference beta. The eight fermion terms in the effective action on the Coulomb branch are determined exactly, for all beta, assuming the existence of an interacting Spin(8) invariant fixed point at the origin. The resulting formulae are manifestly invariant under the SL(2,Z) duality of four dimensional N=4 SYM and lead to interesting quantitative predictions for instanton effects in gauge theory and in Type II string theory.
We study N=1 supersymmetric U(N) gauge theories coupled to an adjoint chiral field with superpotential. We consider the full supersymmetric moduli space of these theories obtained by adding all allowed chiral operators. These include higher-dimensional operators that introduce a field-dependence for the gauge coupling. We show how Feynman diagram/matrix model/string theoretic techniques can all be used to compute the IR glueball superpotential. Moreover, in the limit of turning off the superpotential, this leads to a deformation of N=2 Seiberg-Witten theory. In the case where the superpotentia…
We discuss duality in $N=1$ SUSY gauge theories in Seiberg's conformal window, $(3N_c/2)<N_f<3N_c$. The 't Hooft consistency conditions -- the basic tool for establishing the infrared duality -- are considered taking into account higher order $α$ corrections. The conserved (anomaly free) $R$ current is built to all orders in $α$. Although this current contains all orders in $α$ the 't Hooft consistency conditions for this current are shown to be one-loop. This observation thus justifies Seiberg's matching procedure. We also briefly discuss the inequivalence of the ``electric" and ``magnetic" t…
There is a close relation between duality in $N=2$ SUSY gauge theories and integrable models. In particular, the quantum moduli space of vacua of $N=2$ SUSY $SU(3)$ gauge theories coupled to two flavors of massless quarks in the fundamental representation can be related to the spectral curve of the Goryachev-Chaplygin top. Generalizing this to the cases with {\it massive} quarks, and $N_f = 0,1,2$, we find a corresponding integrable system in seven dimensional phase space where a hyperelliptic curve appears in the Painlevé test. To understand the stringy origin of the integrability of these th…
These are notes from introductory lectures given at the Ecole Normale in Paris and at the Strasbourg meeting dedicated to the memory of Claude Itzykson. I review in considerable detail and in a hopefully pedagogical way the work of Seiberg and Witten on $N=2$ supersymmetric $SU(2)$ gauge theory without extra matter. This presentation basically follows their original work, except in the last section where the low-energy effective action is obtained emphasizing more the relation between monodromies and differential equations rather than using elliptic curves.
We present a semiclassical calculation of instanton effects in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory formulated on R^{3}XS^{1} and also in the N=1 theory obtained by introducing chiral multiplet masses. In the N=4 case, these instanton effects are related to the bulk contribution to the index which counts BPS dyons in the corresponding four dimensional theory. In both cases, the calculations provide semiclassical tests of recently proposed exact results for the lowest non-trivial terms in the derivative expansion of the Wilsonian effective action.
In this talk I review and generalize an idea of Seiberg that an N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory shows confinement without breaking of chiral symmetry when the gauge symmetry of its magnetic dual is completely broken by the Higgs effect. It is shown how the confining spectrum of a supersymmetric gauge theory can easily be derived when a magnetic dual is known and this method is applied to many models containing fields in second rank tensor representations and an appropriate tree-level superpotential.
We study the patterns in the duality of a wide class of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions. We present many new generalizations of the classic duality models of Kutasov and Schwimmer, which have themselves been generalized numerous times in works of Intriligator, Leigh and the present authors. All of these models contain one or two fields in a two-index tensor representation, along with fields in the defining representation. The superpotential for the two-index tensor(s) resembles A_k or D_k singularity forms, generalized from numbers to matrices. Looking at the ensemble of t…
We expand on an idea of Seiberg that an N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory shows confinement without breaking of chiral symmetry when the gauge symmetry of its magnetic dual is completely broken by the Higgs effect. This has recently been applied to some models involving tensor fields and an appropriate tree-level superpotential. We show how the confining spectrum of a supersymmetric gauge theory can easily be derived when a magnetic dual is known and we determine it explicitly for many models containing fields in second rank tensor representations. We also give the form of the confining superpot…
We study an exactly marginal deformation of N=4 SUSY Yang-Mills with gauge group U(N) using field theory and string theory methods. The classical theory has a Higgs branch for rational values of the deformation parameter. We argue that the quantum theory also has an S-dual confining branch which cannot be seen classically. The low-energy effective theory on these branches is a six-dimensional non-commutative gauge theory with sixteen supercharges. Confinement of magnetic and electric charges, on the Higgs and confining branches respectively, occurs due to the formation of BPS-saturated strings…
Low--energy limits of N=2 supersymmetric field theories in the Higgs branch are described in terms of a non--linear 4--dimensional sigma--model on a \hk target space, classically obtained as a \hk quotient of the original flat hypermultiplet space by the gauge group. We review in a pedagogical way this construction, and illustrate it in various examples, with special attention given to the singularities emerging in the low--energy theory. In particular, we thoroughly study the Higgs branch singularity of Seiberg--Witten $SU(2)$ theory with $N_f$ flavors, interpreted by Witten as a small instan…
We study relevant deformations of an N=1 superconformal theory which is an exactly marginal deformation of U(N) N=4 SUSY Yang-Mills. The resulting theory has a classical Higgs branch that is a complex deformation of the orbifold C^3/Z_n x Z_n that is a non-compact Calabi-Yau space with isolated conifold singularities. At these singular points in moduli space the theory exhibits a duality cascade and flows to a confining theory with a mass gap. By exactly solving the corresponding holomorphic matrix model we compute the exact quantum superpotential generated at the end of the duality cascade an…
We extend previous work on N=2 Chern-Simons theories coupled to a single adjoint chiral superfield using localization techniques and the F-maximization principle. We provide tests of a series of proposed 3D Seiberg dualities and a new class of tests of the conjectured F-theorem. In addition, a proposal is made for a modification of the F-maximization principle that takes into account the effects of decoupling fields. Finally, we formulate and provide evidence for a new general non-perturbative constraint on spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in three dimensions based on Q-deformed S^3 partitio…
We here generalize our previous construction [hep-th/0409019] of non-supersymmetric $p$-branes delocalized in one transverse spatial direction to two transverse spatial directions in supergravities in arbitrary dimensions ($d$). These solutions are characterized by five parameters. We show how these solutions in $d=10$ interpolate between D($p+2$)-anti-D($p+2$) brane system, non-BPS D$(p+1)$-branes (delocalized in one direction) and BPS D$p$-branes by adjusting and scaling the parameters in suitable ways. This picture is very similar to the descent relations obtained by Sen in the open string …
We consider a non-supersymmetric USp Yang-Mills Chern-Simons gauge theory coupled to fundamental flavours. The theory is realised in type IIB string theory via an embedding in a Hanany-Witten brane configuration which includes an orientifold and anti-branes. We argue that the theory admits a magnetic Seiberg dual. Using the magnetic dual we identify dynamics in field theory and brane physics that correspond to various phases, obtaining a better understanding of 3d bosonization and dynamical breaking of flavour symmetry in USp QCD$_3$ theory. In field theory both phases correspond to magnetic '…
We study the most general renormalizable ${\cal N}=1$ $U(N)$ Chern-Simons gauge theory coupled to a single (generically massive) fundamental matter multiplet. At leading order in the 't Hooft large $N$ limit we present computations and conjectures for the $2 \times 2$ $S$ matrix in these theories; our results apply at all orders in the 't Hooft coupling and the matter self interaction. Our $S$ matrices are in perfect agreement with the recently conjectured strong weak coupling self duality of this class of theories. The consistency of our results with unitarity requires a modification of the u…
We propose a new chiral model of metastable supersymmetry breaking in the conformal window via chiral/nonchiral Seiberg duality, which is focused on Spin(7)/SU(N_f-4) duality in this letter. Following the approach of Intriligator-Seiberg-Shih model, a small mass perturbation in the nonchiral theory leads to supersymmetry breaking by rank condition in the chiral dual description.
We analyze in detail the moduli space of vacua of N=2 SUSY QCD with n_c colors and n_f flavors. The Coulomb branch has submanifolds with non-Abelian gauge symmetry. The massless quarks and gluons at these vacua are smoothly connected to the underlying elementary quarks and gluons. Upon breaking N=2 by an N=1 preserving mass term for the adjoint field the theory flows to N=1 SUSY QCD. Some of the massless quarks and gluons on the moduli space of the N=2 theory become the magnetic quarks and gluons of the N=1 theory. In this way we derive the duality in N=1 SUSY QCD by identifying its crucial bu…
5-branes of nontrivial topology are associated in the Diaconescu-Hanany-Witten-Witten (DHWW) approach with the Seiberg-Witten (SW) theory of low-energy effective actions. There are two different "pictures", related to the IIA and IIB phases of M-theory. They differ by the choice of $6d$ theory on the 5-brane world volume. In the IIB picture it is just the 6d SUSY Yang-Mills, while in the IIA picture it is a theory of SUSY self-dual 2-form. These two pictures appear capable to describe the (non-abelian) Lax operator and (abelian) low-energy effective action respectively. Thus IIB-IIA duality is…
We describe a supersymmetric example of the holographic duality between 3 dimensional vector models and higher spin gauge theories in AdS_4, first proposed in a bosonic context by Klebanov and Polyakov. We argue that a particular Fradkin-Vasiliev type supersymmetric higher spin gauge theory in AdS_4 with 16 supersymmetries is dual to the singlet sector of bilinear operators of a free N = 4, SU(N) vector model defined on the boundary. Starting from the duality between type IIB on AdS_5 \times S^5 with a D5-brane as an AdS_4 \times S^2 subspace and the 4 dimensional SU(N) SYM with a defect, we r…
We demonstrate that Monte-Carlo simulation is a practical tool to study nonperturbative aspects of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. As an example we study D0-brane quantum mechanics in the context of superstring theory. Numerical data nicely reproduce predictions from gravity side, including the coupling constant dependence of the string alpha' correction. This strongly suggests the duality to hold beyond the supergravity approximation. Although detail of the stringy correction cannot be obtained by state-of-the-art techniques in gravity side, in the matrix quantum mechanics we can obtain con…
We discuss an attempt to understand confinement and dynamical symmetry breaking in a 4-dimensional non-supersymmetric gauge theory using S-duality in type IIB string theory. The electric theory is a USp(2n) gauge theory and its magnetic dual is argued to be an SO(2n) or SO(2n-1) gauge theory. These theories are obtained as the low-energy effective theory of O3-D3bar systems in type IIB string theory, which are related by S-duality. Confinement and dynamical symmetry breaking in the USp(2n) gauge theory are caused by the condensation of scalar fields in the magnetic dual description, which is c…
Recently the vacuum structure of a large class of four dimensional (supersymmetric) quantum field theories was determined exactly. These theories exhibit a wide range of interesting new physical phenomena. One of the main new insights is the role of ``electric-magnetic duality.'' In its simplest form it describes the long distance behavior of some strongly coupled, and hence complicated, ``electric theories'' in terms of weakly coupled ``magnetic theories.'' This understanding sheds new light on confinement and the Higgs mechanism and uncovers new phases of four dimensional gauge theories. We …
We construct a new AdS_4 background in Type IIB supergravity by means of a non-Abelian T-duality transformation on the Type IIA dual of ABJM. The analysis of probe and particle-like branes suggests a dual CFT in which each of the gauge groups is doubled. A common feature of non-Abelian T-duality is that in the absence of any global information coming from String Theory it gives rise to non-compact dual backgrounds, with coordinates living in the Lie algebra of the Lie group involved in the dualization. In backgrounds with CFT duals this poses obvious problems to the CFTs. In this paper we show…
We study supersymmetric Sp(2N) gauge theories with matter in the antisymmetric tensor representation and F fundamentals. For F=6 we solve the theory exactly in terms of confined degrees of freedom and a superpotential. By adding mass terms we obtain the theories with F<6 which we find to exhibit a host of interesting non-perturbative phenomena: quantum deformed moduli spaces with N constraints, instanton-induced superpotentials and non-equivalent disjoint branches of moduli spaces. We find a simple dual for F=8 and no superpotential. We show how the F=4 and F=2 theories can be modified to brea…
We present more examples of dual N=1 SUSY gauge theories. This set of theories is connected by flows to both Seiberg's and Kutasov's dual theories. This provides a unifying picture of the various dual theories. We investigate the dual theories, their flat directions and mass perturbations.
We use dyonic brane configurations of type 0 string theory to study large N non-supersymmetric 4d gauge theories. The brane configurations define theories similar to the supersymmetric ones which arise in type II. We find the non-SUSY analogues of N=2 and N=1. In particular we suggest new non-SUSY CFT's and a brane realization of a non-SUSY Seiberg duality.
We apply the duality transformation relating the heterotic to the IIA string in 6D to the class of exact string solutions described by the chiral null model and derive explicit formulas for all fields after reduction to 4D. If the model is restricted to asymptotically flat black hole type solutions with well defined mass and charges the purely electric solutions on the heterotic side are mapped to dyonic ones on the IIA side. The mass remains invariant. Before and after the duality transformation the solutions belong to short $N=4$ SUSY multiplets and saturate the corresponding Bogomol'nyi bou…
The duality properties of perturbative string characters associated with the transverse space-time rotations are studied. T duality is achieved by suitably integrating over the total momentum, contrary to earlier discussions. The O(8) triality properties of the characters for critical superstrings, are derived. This shows the existence of a third formulation (unnoticed so far to our knowledge) equivalent to, but different from the ones of Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond, and Green-Schwarz. Projectors in the NS and R sectors are defined in the GS formalism. The consequences of supersymmetry are neatly der…
We consider certain supersymmetric configurations of intersecting branes and branes ending on branes and analyze the duality between their open and closed string interpretation. The examples we study are chosen such that we have the lower dimensional brane realizing an n+1 dimensional conformal field theory on its worldvolume and the higher dimensional one introducing a conformal boundary. We also consider two CFTs, possibly with different central charges, interacting along a common conformal boundary. We show with a probe calculation that the dual closed string description is in terms of grav…
In this paper we propose a linear quiver with gauge groups of increasing rank as field theory dual to the AdS_5 background constructed by Sfetsos and Thompson through non-Abelian T-duality. The formalism to study 4d N=2 SUSY CFTs developed by Gaiotto and Maldacena is essential for our proposal. We point out an interesting relation between (Hopf) Abelian and non-Abelian T-dual backgrounds that allows to see both backgrounds as different limits of a solution constructed by Maldacena and Nunez. This suggests different completions of the long quiver describing the CFT dual to the non-Abelian T-dua…
I present a set of theories which display non-trivial `t Hooft anomaly matching for QCD with $F$ flavors. The matching theories are non-Abelian gauge theories with "dual" quarks and baryons, rather than the purely confining theories of baryons that `t Hooft originally searched for. The matching gauge groups are required to have an $F\pm 6$ dimensional representation. Such a correspondence is reminiscent of Seiberg's duality for supersymmetric (SUSY) QCD, and these theories are candidates for non-SUSY duality. However anomaly matching by itself is not sufficiently restrictive, and duality for Q…
A recent claim that the S-duality between 4d SUSY gauge theories, which is AGT related to the modular transformations of 2d conformal blocks, is no more than an ordinary Fourier transform at the perturbative level, is further traced down to the commutation relation [P,Q]=-i\hbar between the check-operator monodromies of the exponential resolvent operator in the underlying Dotsenko-Fateev matrix models and beta-ensembles. To this end, we treat the conformal blocks as eigenfunctions of the monodromy check operators, what is especially simple in the case of one-point toric block. The kernel of th…
We establish self-duality of super D3-brane theory as an exact symmetry of the action both in the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism. In the Lagrangian formalism, the action is shown to satisfy the Gaillard-Zumino condition. This algebraic relation is recognized in our previous paper to be a necessary and sufficient condition for generic action of U(1) gauge field strength coupled with gravity and matters to be self-dual. For the super D3-brane action, SO(2) duality transformation of a world-volume gauge field should be associated with SO(2) rotation of fermionic brane coordinates in N=2 SUS…
For $N\!=\!2$ SUSY theories with non-vanishing $β$-function and one-dimensional quantum moduli, we study the representation on the special coordinates of the group of motions on the quantum moduli defined by $Γ_W\!=\!Sl(2;Z)\!/\!Γ_M$, with $Γ_M$ the quantum monodromy group. $Γ_W$ contains both the global symmetries and the strong-weak coupling duality. The action of $Γ_W$ on the special coordinates is not part of the symplectic group $Sl(2;Z)$. After coupling to gravity, namely in the context of non-rigid special geometry, we can define the action of $Γ_W$ as part of $Sp(4;Z)$. To do this requ…
In this work the solution generated by performing a U-duality on a deformation of the Maldacena-Nastase solution is studied. This is a solution of type-IIA with a metric that is asymptotically AdS4 and supports a G2 structure. It is believed to be dual to a 2+1d, N=1 gauge theory similar to the baryonic branch of Klebanov-Strassler with an additional intermediate scale. An improved radial coordinate is used allowing the derivation of UV series solutions to the BPS equation that persist to all orders. A study of the properties of the dual field theory is performed which includes an operator ana…
We employ an algebraic approach for unifying perturbative and non-perturbative superstring states on an equal footing, in the form of U-duality multiplets, at all excited string levels. In compactified type-IIA supertring theory we present evidence that the multiplet is labelled by two spaces, ``index'' space and ``base'' space, on which U acts without mixing them. Both spaces are non-perturbative extensions of similar spaces that label perturbative T-duality multiplets. Base space consists of all the central charges of the 11D SUSY algebra, while index space corresponds to represetations of t…
We discuss dualities of the integrable dynamics behind the exact solution to the N=2 SUSY YM theory. It is shown that T duality in the string theory is related to the separation of variables procedure in dynamical system. We argue that there are analogues of S duality as well as 3d mirror symmetry in the many-body systems of Hitchin type governing low-energy effective actions.
We give a prescription for N=1 supersymmetrization of any (four-dimensional) nonlinear electrodynamics theory with a Lagrangian density satisfying a convexity condition that we relate to semi-classical unitarity. We apply it to the one-parameter ModMax extension of Maxwell electrodynamics that preserves both electromagnetic duality and conformal invariance, and its Born-Infeld-like generalization, proving that duality invariance is preserved. We also establish superconformal invariance of the superModMax theory by showing that its coupling to supergravity is super-Weyl invariant. The higher-de…
We give a confirmation of U-duality of type II superstring by discussing mass spectrum of the BPS states. We first evaluate the mass spectrum of BPS solitons with one kind of R-R charges. Our analysis is based on the 1-loop effective action of D-brane, which is known as ``Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action'', and the fact that BPS states correspond to the SUSY cycles with minimal volumes. We show the mass formula derived in this manner is completely fitted with that given by U-duality. We further discuss the cases of BPS solitons possessing several kinds of R-R charges. These are cases of ``inters…
We review the recent developments of the SUSY quantum Hall effect [hep-th/0409230, hep-th/0411137, hep-th/0503162, hep-th/0606007, arXiv:0705.4527]. We introduce a SUSY formulation of the quantum Hall effect on supermanifolds. On each of supersphere and superplane, we investigate SUSY Landau problem and explicitly construct SUSY extensions of Laughlin wavefunction and topological excitations. The non-anti-commutative geometry naturally emerges in the lowest Landau level and brings particular physics to the SUSY quantum Hall effect. It is shown that SUSY provides a unified picture of the origin…
We study supersymmetric $SU(N-4)$ gauge theories with a symmetric tensor and $N$ antifundamental representations. The theory with $W=0$ has a dual description in terms of a non-chiral $Spin(8)$ theory with one spinor and $N$ vectors. This duality flows to the $SO(N)$ duality of Seiberg and to a duality proposed by one of us. It also flows to dualities for a number of $Spin(m)$ theories, $m\le 8$. For $N=6$, when an ${\cal N}=2$ SUSY superpotential is added, the singularities of Seiberg and Witten are recovered. For $N\le 6$, a mass for the spinor generates the branches of $SO(8)$ theories foun…
We study strong-weak coupling duality (S-duality) in N=4 supersymmetric non-Abelian Yang-Mills theories. These theories arise naturally as the low-energy limit of four-dimensional toroidal compactifications of the heterotic string. Firstly, we define the free energy in the presence of electric and magnetic fluxes using 't Hooft's prescription, i.e. through functional integrals at finite volume in the presence of twisted boundary conditions. Then, we compute those free energies in two limiting cases: small and large coupling constant. Finally, we extend the free-energies to all values of the co…
The interpolation from supersymmetric to non-supersymmetric heterotic theories is studied, via the Scherk-Schwarz compactification of supersymmetric 6D theories to 4D. A general modular-invariant Scherk-Schwarz deformation is deduced from the properties of the 6D theories at the endpoints, which significantly extends previously known examples. This wider class of non-supersymmetric 4D theories opens up new possibilities for model building. The full one-loop cosmological constant of such theories is studied as a function of compactification radius for a number of cases, and the following interp…
We discuss new solutions in massive Type IIA supergravity with AdS$_3\times$S$^2$ factors, preserving ${\cal N}=(0,4)$ SUSY. We propose a duality with a precise family of quivers that flow to ${\cal N}=(0,4)$ fixed points at low energies. These quivers consist on two families of linear quivers coupled by matter fields. Physical observables such as the central charges provide stringent checks of the proposed duality. A formal mapping is presented connecting our backgrounds with those dual to six dimensional ${\cal N}=(1,0)$ CFTs, suggesting the existence of a flow across dimensions between the …
In this paper we find various new backgrounds in Type IIB, IIA and M-theory with an $AdS_3$-factor. The solutions are smooth and preserve small amounts of SUSY. These new backgrounds are found by application of non-Abelian T-duality (sometimes combined with T-duality) on the supergravity solution dual to the Klebanov-Witten CFT compactified to two dimensions. The field theory aspects encoded by these backgrounds are studied. We give a detailed account of conserved charges, central charges, entanglement entropy and Wilson loops. Further, we present a possible field theory interpretation for our…
