Spin-2 universal minimal solutions on type IIA and IIB supergravity

4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM admits half-BPS boundaries, defects and interfaces as well as compactifications to 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SCFTs, realized as intersections of D3, D5 and NS5 branes. We explore operators with large R-charge. We identify Penrose limits in the holographic duals with geometry AdS4 × S2 × S2 × Σ, which describe, for each theory, a spectrum of ‘seed’ operators which each give rise to a BMN-like sector described by a pp-wave. We relate the number of BMN-like sectors to the flavor symmetry of the CFT. For a sample of theories including the Janus interface, D3/D5 BCFTs and BCFTs with 3d SCFTs on the boundary, we determine the spectra of nearby operators and discuss the field theory realization of the seed operators. We further identify families of Penrose limits which give rise to more general pp-wave sectors.

BMN-like sectors in 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM with boundaries and interfaces

Chaney,

Uhlemann

2025

Marginally deformed AdS5/CFT4 and spindle-like orbifolds

Macpherson,

Merrikin,

Nunez

2024

We study marginal deformations of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2, d = 4 long linear quiver CFTs using the holographic description. We find a two-parameter family of AdS5 solutions that generically break all of supersymmetry, but preserve $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 for a particular tuning of the parameters. We study the G-structure of the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 2 “parent” and the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 backgrounds and carefully discuss the quantisation of charges in all cases. For the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 and $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 0 cases, a picture emerges with “branes” back-reacted on either a spindle or its higher dimensional analogue. Comments on the marginally deformed dual CFTs are given, together with the study of some observables.

More on spin-2 operators in holographic quantum mechanics

Zhang

2024

We study the spectrum, unitarity bound and holographic central charge of spin-2 operators in a warped AdS2 × S2 × T4 × $$ {\mathcal{I}}_{\psi } $$ I ψ × $$ {\mathcal{I}}_{\rho } $$ I ρ background in the Type IIB theory. We were able to identify a class of solutions that is completely independent of the functions that define the background solution. We comment on the relation of our results to the previous ones in the literature.