The generalized Wilson loop operator interpolating between the supersymmetric and the ordinary Wilson loop in
Higher order RG flow on the Wilson line in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM
A bstract Extending earlier work, we find the two-loop term in the beta-function for the scalar coupling ζ in a generalized Wilson loop operator of the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM theory, working in the planar weak-coupling expansion. The beta-function for ζ has fixed points at ζ = ±1 and ζ = 0, corresponding respectively to the supersymmetric Wilson-Maldacena loop and to the standard Wilson loop without scalar coupling. As a consequence of our result for the beta-function, we obtain a prediction for the two-loop term in the anomalous dimension of the scalar field inserted on the standard Wilson loop. We also find a subset of higher-loop contributions (with highest powers of ζ at each order in ‘t Hooft coupling λ ) coming from the scalar ladder graphs determining the corresponding terms in the five-loop beta-function. We discuss the related structure of the circular Wilson loop expectation value commenting, in particular, on consistency with a 1d defect version of the F-theorem. We also compute (to two loops in the planar ladder model approximation) the two-point correlators of scalars inserted on the Wilson line.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1914860
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10380980
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of High Energy Physics
- Volume:
- 2022
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1029-8479
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract ζ has a non-trivial beta function and may be viewed as a running coupling constant in a 1D defect QFT. In this paper we continue the study of this operator, generalizing previous results for the beta function and Wilson loop expectation value to the case of an arbitrary representation of the gauge group and beyond the planar limit. Focusing on the scalar ladder limit where the generalized Wilson loop reduces to a purely scalar line operator in a free adjoint theory, and specializing to the case of the rankk symmetric representation ofSU (N ), we also consider a certain ‘semiclassical’ limit wherek is taken to infinity with the productkζ 2fixed. This limit can be conveniently studied using a 1D defect QFT representation in terms ofN commuting bosons. Using this representation, we compute the beta function and the circular loop expectation value in the largek limit, and use it to derive constraints on the structure of the beta function for general representation. We discuss the corresponding 1D RG flow and comment on the consistency of the results with the 1D defect version of the F-theorem. -
A bstract We study the large charge sector of the defect CFT defined by the half-BPS Wilson loop in planar N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. Specifically, we consider correlation functions of two large charge insertions and several light insertions in the double-scaling limit where the ’t Hooft coupling λ and the large charge J are sent to infinity, with the ratio J/ $$ \sqrt{\lambda } $$ λ held fixed. They are holographically dual to the expectation values of light vertex operators on a classical string solution with large angular momentum, which we evaluate in the leading large J limit. We also compute the two-point function of large charge insertions by evaluating the on-shell string action, supplemented by the boundary terms that generalize the one introduced by Drukker, Gross and Ooguri for the Wilson loop without insertions. For a special class of correlation functions, we reproduce the string results from field theory by using supersymmetric localization. The results are given by correlation functions in an “emergent” matrix model whose matrix size is proportional to J and whose spectral curve coincides with that of the classical string. Similar matrix models appeared in the study of extremal correlators in rank-1 $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 superconformal field theories, but our results hold also for non-extremal cases.more » « less
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null (Ed.)A bstract The 1/2-BPS Wilson loop in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory is an important and well-studied example of conformal defect. In particular, much work has been done for the correlation functions of operator insertions on the Wilson loop in the fundamental representation. In this paper, we extend such analyses to Wilson loops in the large-rank symmetric and antisymmetric representations, which correspond to probe D3 and D5 branes with AdS 2 × S 2 and AdS 2 × S 4 worldvolume geometries, ending at the AdS 5 boundary along a one-dimensional contour. We first compute the correlation functions of protected scalar insertions from supersymmetric localization, and obtain a representation in terms of multiple integrals that are similar to the eigenvalue integrals of the random matrix, but with important differences. Using ideas from the Fermi Gas formalism and the Clustering method, we evaluate their large N limit exactly as a function of the ’t Hooft coupling. The results are given by simple integrals of polynomials that resemble the Q -functions of the Quantum Spectral Curve, with integration measures depending on the number of insertions. Next, we study the correlation functions of fluctuations on the probe D3 and D5 branes in AdS. We compute a selection of three- and four-point functions from perturbation theory on the D-branes, and show that they agree with the results of localization when restricted to supersymmetric kinematics. We also explain how the difference of the internal geometries of the D3 and D5 branes manifests itself in the localization computation.more » « less
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null (Ed.)A bstract We revisit the problem of matching the strong coupling expansion of the $$ \frac{1}{2} $$ 1 2 BPS circular Wilson loops in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM and ABJM gauge theories with their string theory duals in AdS 5 × S 5 and AdS 4 × CP 3 , at the first subleading (one-loop) order of the expansion around the minimal surface. We observe that, including the overall factor 1/ g s of the inverse string coupling constant, as appropriate for the open string partition function with disk topology, and a universal prefactor proportional to the square root of the string tension T , both the SYM and ABJM results precisely match the string theory prediction. We provide an explanation of the origin of the $$ \sqrt{T} $$ T prefactor based on special features of the combination of one-loop determinants appearing in the string partition function. The latter also implies a natural generalization Z χ ∼ ( $$ \sqrt{T}/{g}_{\mathrm{s}} $$ T / g s ) χ to higher genus contributions with the Euler number χ , which is consistent with the structure of the 1/ N corrections found on the gauge theory side.more » « less
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2022)056
