Higher spins in the symmetric orbifold of K3

Abstract

The symmetric orbifold of K3 is believed to be the conformal field theory (CFT) dual of string theory on ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{K}3$ at the tensionless point. For the case when the K3 is described by the orbifold ${\mathbb{T}}^{4}/{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$, we identify a subsector of the symmetric orbifold theory that is dual to a higher spin theory on ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{3}$. We analyze how the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) spectrum of string theory can be described from the higher spin perspective and determine which single-particle BPS states are accounted for by the perturbative higher spin theory.