Long range, large charge, large N

In four-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU(N), we present a closed-form solution for a family of integrated four-point functions involving stress tensor multiplet composites of arbitrary R-charge. These integrated correlators are shown to be equivalent to a one-dimensional semi-infinite lattice of harmonic oscillators with nearest-neighbor interactions, evolving over the fundamental domain of SL(2, ℤ). The solution, exceptionally simple in an SL(2, ℤ)-invariant eigenbasis, is exact in the R-charge p, rank N, and complexified gauge coupling τ. This permits a systematic and non-perturbative large charge expansion for any N and τ. Especially novel is a double-scaled “gravity regime” in which p ~ N2 ≫ 1, holographically dual to a large charge regime of semiclassical type IIB string theory in AdS5 × S5. Our results in this limit provide a holographic computation of integrated semiclassical string amplitudes at arbitrary string coupling, including an emergent string scale with a large charge dressing factor. We compare to extremal correlators in superconformal QCD, for which we predict new genus expansions at large charge scaling with N.

Section: Jhep08(2023)078mentioning

confidence: 85%

Exact large charge in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM and semiclassical string theory

Paul,

Perlmutter,

Raj

2023

Large charge ’t Hooft limit of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super-Yang-Mills

Caetano,

Komatsu,

Wang

2024

The planar integrability of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM) is the cornerstone for numerous exact observables. We show that the large charge sector of the SU(2) $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM provides another interesting solvable corner which exhibits striking similarities despite being far from the planar limit. We study non-BPS operators obtained by small deformations of half-BPS operators with R-charge J in the limit J → ∞ with $$ {\lambda}_J\equiv {g}_{\textrm{YM}}^2J/2 $$ λ J ≡ g YM 2 J / 2 fixed. The dynamics in this large charge ’t Hooft limit is constrained by a centrally-extended $$ \mathfrak{psu} $$ psu (2|2)2 symmetry that played a crucial role for the planar integrability. To the leading order in 1/J, the spectrum is fully fixed by this symmetry, manifesting the magnon dispersion relation familiar from the planar limit, while it is constrained up to a few constants at the next order. We also determine the structure constant of two large charge operators and the Konishi operator, revealing a rich structure interpolating between the perturbative series at weak coupling and the worldline instantons at strong coupling. In addition we compute heavy-heavy-light-light (HHLL) four-point functions of half-BPS operators in terms of resummed conformal integrals and recast them into an integral form reminiscent of the hexagon formalism in the planar limit. For general SU(N) gauge groups, we study integrated HHLL correlators by supersymmetric localization and identify a dual matrix model of size J/2 that reproduces our large charge result at N = 2. Finally we discuss a relation to the physics on the Coulomb branch and explain how the dilaton Ward identity emerges from a limit of the conformal block expansion. We comment on generalizations including the large spin ’t Hooft limit, the combined large N-large J limits, and applications to general $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 superconformal field theories.

The connection between nonzero density and spontaneous symmetry breaking for interacting scalars

Nicolis,

Podo,

Santoni

2023

We consider U(1)-symmetric scalar quantum field theories at zero temperature. At nonzero charge densities, the ground state of these systems is usually assumed to be a superfluid phase, in which the global symmetry is spontaneously broken along with Lorentz boosts and time translations. We show that, in d > 2 spacetime dimensions, this expectation is always realized at one loop for arbitrary non-derivative interactions, confirming that the physically distinct phenomena of nonzero charge density and spontaneous symmetry breaking occur simultaneously in these systems. We quantify this result by deriving universal scaling relations for the symmetry breaking scale as a function of the charge density, at low and high density. Moreover, we show that the critical value of μ above which a nonzero density develops coincides with the pole mass in the unbroken, Poincaré invariant vacuum of the theory. The same conclusions hold non-perturbatively for an O(N) theory with quartic interactions in d = 3 and 4, at leading order in the 1/N expansion. We derive these results by computing analytically the zero-temperature, finite-μ one-loop effective potential, paying special attention to subtle points related to the iε terms. We check our results against the one-loop low-energy effective action for the superfluid phonons in λϕ4 theory in d = 4 previously derived by Joyce and ourselves, which we further generalize to arbitrary potential interactions and arbitrary dimensions. As a byproduct, we find analytically the one-loop scaling dimension of the lightest charge-n operator for the λϕ6 conformal superfluid in d = 3, at leading order in 1/n, reproducing a numerical result of Badel et al. For a λϕ4 superfluid in d = 4, we also reproduce the Lee-Huang-Yang relation and compute relativistic corrections to it. Finally, we discuss possible extensions of our results beyond perturbation theory.