One-loop Determinants Research Articles

Double-well instantons in finite volume

Assuming a toroidal space with finite volume, we derive analytically the full one-loop vacuum energy for a scalar field tunnelling between two degenerate vacua, taking into account discrete momentum. The Casimir energy is computed for an arbitrary number of dimensions using the Abel-Plana formula, while the one-loop instanton functional determinant is evaluated using the Green’s functions for the fluctuation operators. The resulting energetic properties are non-trivial: both the Casimir effect and tunnelling contribute to the Null Energy Condition violation, arising from a non-extensive true vacuum energy. We discuss the relevance of this mechanism to induce a cosmic bounce, requiring no modified gravity or exotic matter.

Quantum holographic surface anomalies

Expectation values of surface operators suffer from logarithmic divergences reflecting a conformal anomaly. In a holographic setting, where surface operators can be computed by a minimal surface in AdS, the leading contribution to the anomaly comes from a divergence in the classical action (or area) of the minimal surface. We study the subleading correction to it due to quantum fluctuations of the minimal surface. In the same way that the divergence in the area does not require a global solution but only a near-boundary analysis, the same holds for the quantum corrections. We study the asymptotic form of the fluctuation determinant and show how to use the heat kernel to calculate the quantum anomaly. In the case of M2-branes describing surface operators in the N=(2,0) theory in 6d, our calculation of the one-loop determinant reproduces expressions for the anomaly that have been found by less direct methods.

Remarks on BPS Wilson loops in non-conformal N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 gauge theories and localization

We consider 1/2 BPS supersymmetric circular Wilson loops in four-dimensional N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 2 SU(N) SYM theories with massless matter content and non-vanishing β-function. Following Pestun’s approach, we can use supersymmetric localization on the sphere S\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathbbm{S} $$\\end{document}4 to map these observables into a matrix model, provided that the one-loop determinants are consistently regularized. Employing a suitable procedure, we construct the regularized matrix model for these theories and show that, at order g4, the predictions for the 1/2 BPS Wilson loop match standard perturbative renormalization based on the direct evaluation of Feynman diagrams on S\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathbbm{S} $$\\end{document}4. Despite conformal symmetry begin broken at the quantum level, we also demonstrate that the matrix model approaches perfectly captures the expression of the renormalized observable in flat space at this perturbative order. Moreover, we revisit in detail the difference theory approach, showing that when the β-function is non-vanishing, this method does not account for evanescent terms which are made finite by the renormalization procedure and participate to the corrections at order g6.

Keeping matter in the loop in dS3 quantum gravity

We propose a mechanism that couples matter fields to three-dimensional de Sitter quantum gravity. Our construction is based on the Chern-Simons formulation of three-dimensional Euclidean gravity, and it centers on a collection of Wilson loops winding around Euclidean de Sitter space. We coin this object a Wilson spool. To construct the spool, we build novel representations of \U0001d530\U0001d532(2). To evaluate the spool, we adapt and exploit several known exact results in Chern-Simons theory. Our proposal correctly reproduces the one-loop determinant of a free massive scalar field on S3 as GN → 0. Moreover, allowing for quantum metric fluctuations, it can be systematically evaluated to any order in perturbation theory.

All-order resurgence from complexified path integral in a quantum mechanical system with integrability

We discuss all-order transseries in one of the simplest quantum mechanical systems: a U(1) symmetric single-degree-of-freedom system with a first-order time derivative term. Following the procedure of the Lefschetz thimble method, we explicitly evaluate the path integral for the generating function of the Noether charge and derive its exact transseries expression. Using the conservation law, we find all the complex saddle points of the action, which are responsible for the non-perturbative effects and the resurgence structure of the model. The all-order power-series contributions around each saddle point are generated from the one-loop determinant with the help of the differential equations obeyed by the generating function. The transseries are constructed by summing up the contributions from all the relevant saddle points, which we identify by determining the intersection numbers between the dual thimbles and the original path integration contour. We confirm that the Borel ambiguities of the perturbation series are canceled by the non-perturbative ambiguities originating from the discontinuous jumps of the intersection numbers. The transseries computed in the path-integral formalism agrees with the exact generating function, whose explicit form can be obtained in the operator formalism thanks to the integrable nature of the model. This agreement indicates the non-perturbative completeness of the transseries obtained by the semi-classical expansion of the path integral based on the Lefschetz thimble method.

Quantum entropy of BMPV black holes and the topological M-theory conjecture

We present a formula for the quantum entropy of supersymmetric five-dimensional spinning black holes in M-theory compactified on CY3, i.e., BMPV black holes. We use supersymmetric localization in the framework of off-shell five dimensional N = 2 supergravity coupled to I = 1, . , NV + 1 off-shell vector multiplets. The theory is governed at two-derivative level by the symmetric tensor {mathcal{C}}_{IJK} (the intersection numbers of the Calabi-Yau) and at four-derivative level by the gauge-gravitational Chern-Simons coupling cI (the second Chern class of the Calabi-Yau). The quantum entropy is an NV +2-dimensional integral parameterised by one real parameter φI for each vector multiplet and an additional parameter φ0 for the gravity multiplet. The integrand consists of an action governed completely by {mathcal{C}}_{IJK} and cI, and a one-loop determinant. Consistency with the on-shell logarithmic corrections to the entropy, the symmetries of the very special geometry of the moduli space, and an assumption of analyticity constrains the one-loop determinant up to a scale-independent function g(φ0). For g = 1 our result agrees completely with the topological M-theory conjecture of Dijkgraaf, Gukov, Neitzke, and Vafa for static black holes at two derivative level, and provides a natural extension to higher derivative corrections. For rotating BMPV black holes, our result differs from the DGNV conjecture at the level of the first quantum corrections.

Factorization of log-corrections in AdS4/CFT3 from supergravity localization

We use the Atiyah-Singer index theorem to derive the general form of the one-loop corrections to observables in asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS4) supersymmetric backgrounds of abelian gauged supergravity. Using the method of supergravity localization combined with the factorization of the supergravity action on fixed points (NUTs) and fixed two-manifolds (Bolts) we show that an analogous factorization takes place for the one-loop determinants of supergravity fields. This allows us to propose a general fixed-point formula for the logarithmic corrections to a large class of supersymmetric partition functions in the large N expansion of a given 3d dual theory. The corrections are uniquely fixed by some simple topological data pertaining to a particular background in the form of its regularized Euler characteristic χ, together with a single dynamical coefficient that counts the underlying degrees of freedom of the theory.

Phases of unitary matrix models and lattice QCD2

We investigate the different large $N$ phases of a generalized Gross-Witten-Wadia $U(N)$ matrix model. The deformation mimics the one-loop determinant of fermion matter with a particular coupling to gauge fields. In one version of the model, the GWW phase transition is smoothed out and it becomes a crossover. In another version, the phase transition occurs along a critical line in the two-dimensional parameter space spanned by the 't~Hooft coupling $\lambda$ and the Veneziano parameter $\tau$. We compute the expectation value of Wilson loops in both phases, showing that the transition is third-order. A calculation of the $\beta $ function shows the existence of an IR stable fixed point.

Strong coupling expansion of circular Wilson loops and string theories in AdS5 \xd7 S5 and AdS4 \xd7 CP3

We revisit the problem of matching the strong coupling expansion of the frac{1}{2} BPS circular Wilson loops in mathcal{N} = 4 SYM and ABJM gauge theories with their string theory duals in AdS5× S5 and AdS4× CP3, at the first subleading (one-loop) order of the expansion around the minimal surface. We observe that, including the overall factor 1/gs 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} 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 Zχ ∼ ( sqrt{T}/{g}_{mathrm{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.

Pure gravity and conical defects

We revisit the spectrum of pure quantum gravity in AdS3. The computation of the torus partition function will — if computed using a gravitational path integral that includes only smooth saddle points — lead to a density of states which is not physically sensible, as it has a negative degeneracy of states for some energies and spins. We consider a minimal cure for this non-unitarity of the pure gravity partition function, which involves the inclusion of additional states below the black hole threshold. We propose a geometric interpretation for these extra states: they are conical defects with deficit angle 2π(1 − 1/N), where N is a positive integer. That only integer values of N should be included can be seen from a modular bootstrap argument, and leads us to propose a modest extension of the set of saddle-point configurations that contribute to the gravitational path integral: one should sum over orbifolds in addition to smooth manifolds. These orbifold states are below the black hole threshold and are regarded as massive particles in AdS, but they are not perturbative states: they are too heavy to form multi-particle bound states. We compute the one-loop determinant for gravitons in these orbifold backgrounds, which confirms that the orbifold states are Virasoro primaries. We compute the gravitational partition function including the sum over these orbifolds and find a finite, modular invariant result; this finiteness involves a delicate cancellation between the infinite tower of orbifold states and an infinite number of instantons associated with PSL(2, ℤ) images.

Defect CFT in the 6d (2,0) theory from M2 brane dynamics in AdS7 \xd7 S4

Surface operators in the 6d (2,0) theory at large N have a holographic description in terms of M2 branes probing the AdS7×S4 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 d conformal transformations, so that the surface operator may be viewed as a conformal defect in the 6d theory. The dual M2 brane has an AdS3 induced geometry, reflecting the 2d conformal symmetry. Here we use the holographic description to extract the defect CFT data associated to the surface operator. The spectrum of transverse fluctuations of the M2 brane is found to be in one-to-one correspondence with a protected multiplet of operator insertions on the surface, which includes the displacement operator. We compute the one-loop determinants of fluctuations of the M2 brane, and extract the conformal anomaly coefficient of the spherical surface to order N0. We also briefly discuss the RG flow from the non-supersymmetric to the 1/2-BPS defect operator, and its consistency with a “b-theorem” for the defect CFT. Starting with the M2 brane action, we then use AdS3 Witten diagrams to compute the 4-point functions of the elementary bosonic insertions on the surface operator, and extract some of the defect CFT data from the OPE. The 4-point function is shown to satisfy superconformal Ward identities, and we discuss a related sub- sector of “twisted” scalar insertions, whose correlation functions are constrained by the residual superconformal symmetry.

Black hole one-loop determinants in the large dimension limit

We calculate the contributions to the one-loop determinant for transverse traceless gravitons in an n + 3-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole background in the large dimension limit, due to the SO(n + 2)-type tensor and vector fluctuations, using the quasinormal mode method. Accordingly we find the quasinormal modes for these fluctuations as a function of a fiducial mass parameter ∆. We show that the behavior of the one-loop determinant at large ∆ accords with a heat kernel curvature expansion in one lower dimension, lending further evidence towards a membrane picture for black holes in the large dimension limit.

One-loop determinants for black holes in 4d gauged supergravity

We continue the effort of defining and evaluating the quantum entropy function for supersymmetric black holes in 4d mathcal{N} = 2 gauged supergravity, initiated in [1]. The emphasis here is on the missing steps in the previous localization analysis, mainly dealing with one-loop determinants for abelian vector multiplets and hypermultiplets on the non-compact space ℍ2× Σg with particular boundary conditions. We use several different techniques to arrive at consistent results, which have a most direct bearing on the logarithmic correction terms to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of said black holes.

One-loop holography with strings in AdS4 \xd7 \u2102\u21193

We compute the one-loop effective action of string configurations embedded in AdS4 × ℂℙ3 which are dual to frac{1}{6} -BPS latitude Wilson Loops in the ABJM theory. To avoid ambiguities in the string path integral we subtract the frac{1}{2} -BPS case. The one-loop determinants are computed by Fourier-decomposing the two dimensional operators and then using the Gel’fand-Yaglom method. We comment on various aspects related to the regularization procedure, showing the cancellation of a hierarchy of divergences. After taking into account an IR anomaly from a change in topology, we find a precise agreement with the field theory result known from supersymmetric localization.

Twisting and localization in supergravity: equivariant cohomology of BPS black holes

We develop the formalism of supersymmetric localization in supergravity using the deformed BRST algebra defined in the presence of a supersymmetric background as recently formulated in [1]. The gravitational functional integral localizes onto the cohomology of a global supercharge Qeq, obeying Qeq2 = H, where H is a global symmetry of the background. Our construction naturally produces a twisted version of supergravity whenever supersymmetry can be realized off-shell. We present the details of the twisted graviton multiplet and ghost fields for the superconformal formulation of four-dimensional mathcal{N} = 2 supergravity. As an application of our formalism, we systematize the computation of the exact quantum entropy of supersymmetric black holes. In particular, we compute the one-loop determinant of the Qeq mathcal{V} deformation operator for the off-shell fluctuations of the Weyl multiplet around the AdS2 × S2 saddle. This result, which is consistent with the corresponding large-charge on-shell analysis, is needed to complete the first-principles computation of the quantum entropy.

Tweaking one-loop determinants in AdS3

We revisit the subject of one-loop determinants in AdS3 gravity via the quasi-normal mode method. Our goal is to evaluate a one-loop determinant with chiral boundary conditions for the metric field; chirality is achieved by imposing Dirichlet boundary conditions on certain components while others satisfy Neumann. Along the way, we give a generalization of the quasinormal mode method for stationary (non-static) thermal backgrounds, and propose a treatment for Neumann boundary conditions in this framework. We evaluate the graviton one-loop determinant on the Euclidean BTZ background with parity-violating boundary conditions (CSS), and find excellent agreement with the dual warped CFT. We also discuss a more general falloff in AdS3 that is related to two dimensional quantum gravity in lightcone gauge. The behavior of the ghost fields under both sets of boundary conditions is novel and we discuss potential interpretations.

N = 2 gauge theories on the hemisphere HS4

Using localization techniques, we compute the path integral of N=2 SUSY gauge theory coupled to matter on the hemisphere HS4, with either Dirichlet or Neumann supersymmetric boundary conditions. The resulting quantities are wave-functions of the theory depending on the boundary data. The one-loop determinants are computed using SO(4) harmonics basis. We solve kernel and co-kernel equations for the relevant differential operators arising from gauge and matter localizing actions. The second method utilizes full SO(5) harmonics to reduce the computation to evaluating QSUSY2 eigenvalues and its multiplicities. In the Dirichlet case, we show how to glue two wave-functions to get back the partition function of round S4. We will also describe how to obtain the same results using SO(5) harmonics basis.

Localization of supersymmetric field theories on non-compact hyperbolic three-manifolds

We study supersymmetric gauge theories with an R-symmetry, defined on non-compact, hyperbolic, Riemannian three-manifolds, focusing on the case of a supersymmetry-preserving quotient of Euclidean AdS3. We compute the exact partition function in these theories, using the method of localization, thus reducing the problem to the computation of one-loop determinants around a supersymmetric locus. We evaluate the one-loop determinants employing three different techniques: an index theorem, the method of pairing of eigenvalues, and the heat kernel method. Along the way, we discuss aspects of supersymmetry in manifolds with a conformal boundary, including supersymmetric actions and boundary conditions.

Localization of four-dimensional super-Yang–Mills theories compactified on Riemann surface

We consider the partition function of super-Yang–Mills theories defined on [Formula: see text]. This path integral can be computed by the localization. The one-loop determinant is evaluated by the elliptic genus. This elliptic genus gives trivial result in our calculation. As a result, we obtain a theory defined on the Riemann surface.

Nonperturbative contributions from complexified solutions inCPN−1models

We discuss the non-perturbative contributions from real and complex saddle point solutions in the $\mathbb{C}P^1$ quantum mechanics with fermionic degrees of freedom, using the Lefschetz thimble formalism beyond the gaussian approximation. We find bion solutions, which correspond to (complexified) instanton-antiinstanton configurations stabilized in the presence of the fermionic degrees of freedom. By computing the one-loop determinants in the bion backgrounds, we obtain the leading order contributions from both the real and complex bion solutions. To incorporate quasi zero modes which become nearly massless in a weak coupling limit, we regard the bion solutions as well-separated instanton-antiinstanton configurations and calculate a complexified quasi moduli integral based on the Lefschetz thimble formalism. The non-perturbative contributions from the real and complex bions are shown to cancel out in the supersymmetric case and give an (expected) ambiguity in the non-supersymmetric case, which plays a vital role in the resurgent trans-series. For nearly supersymmetric situation, evaluation of the Lefschetz thimble gives results in precise agreement with those of the direct evaluation of the Schr\"odinger equation. We also perform the same analysis for the sine-Gordon quantum mechanics and point out some important differences showing that the sine-Gordon quantum mechanics does not correctly describe the 1d limit of the $\mathbb{C}P^{N-1}$ field theory of $\mathbb{R} \times S^1$.