Publications

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• Four lectures on Euler integrals

  Saiei-Jaeyeong Matsubara-Heo, Sebastian Mizera, Simon Telen

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 75 (2023) · published 26 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  These lecture notes provide a self-contained introduction to Euler integrals, which are frequently encountered in applications. In particle physics, they arise as Feynman integrals or string amplitudes. Our four selected topics demonstrate the diverse mathematical techniques involved in the study of Euler integrals, including polyhedral geometry, very affine varieties, differential equations, and computational algebra.

  4 citations

• Hasse diagrams for gapless SPT and SSB phases with non-invertible symmetries

  Lakshya Bhardwaj, Daniel Pajer, Sakura Schäfer-Nameki, Alison Warman

  SciPost Phys. 19, 113 (2025) · published 28 October 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We discuss (1+1)d gapless phases with non-invertible global symmetries, also referred to as categorical symmetries. This includes gapless phases showing properties analogous to gapped symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases, known as gapless SPT (or gSPT) phases; and gapless phases showing properties analogous to gapped spontaneous symmetry broken (SSB) phases, that we refer to as gapless SSB (or gSSB) phases. We fit these gapless phases, along with gapped SPT and SSB phases, into a phase diagram describing possible deformations connecting them. This phase diagram is partially ordered and defines a so-called Hasse diagram. Based on these deformations, we identify gapless phases exhibiting symmetry protected criticality, that we refer to as intrinsically gapless SPT (igSPT) and intrinsically gapless SSB (igSSB) phases. This includes the first examples of igSPT and igSSB phases with non-invertible symmetries. Central to this analysis is the Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT), where each phase corresponds to a condensable algebra in the Drinfeld center of the symmetry category. On a mathematical note, gSPT phases are classified by functors between fusion categories, generalizing the fact that gapped SPT phases are classified by fiber functors; and gSSB phases are classified by functors from fusion to multi-fusion categories. Finally, our framework can be applied to understand gauging of trivially acting non-invertible symmetries, including possible patterns of decomposition arising due to such gaugings.

  4 citations

• Non-Hermitian quantum quenches in holography

  Sergio Morales-Tejera, Karl Landsteiner

  SciPost Phys. 14, 030 (2023) · published 10 March 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The notion of non-Hermitian $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetric quantum theory has recently been generalized to the gauge/gravity duality. We study the evolution of such non-Hermitian holographic field theories when the couplings are varied with time with particular emphasis on the question non-unitary time vs. unitary time evolution. We show that a non-unitary time evolution in the dual quantum theory corresponds to a violation of the Null Energy Condition (NEC) in the bulk of the asymptotically AdS spacetime. We find that upon varying the non-Hermitian coupling the horizon of a bulk AdS black hole shrinks. On the other hand varying the Hermitian coupling in the presence of a constant non-Hermitian coupling still violates the NEC but results in a growing horizon. We also show that by introducing a non-Hermitian gauge field the time evolution can be made unitary, e.g. the NEC in the bulk is obeyed and an exactly equivalent purely Hermitian description can be given.

  4 citations

• The non-rational limit of D-series minimal models

  Sylvain Ribault

  SciPost Phys. Core 3, 002 (2020) · published 31 July 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the limit of D-series minimal models when the central charge tends to a generic irrational value $c\in (-\infty, 1)$. We find that the limit theory's diagonal three-point structure constant differs from that of Liouville theory by a distribution factor, which is given by a divergent Verlinde formula. Nevertheless, correlation functions that involve both non-diagonal and diagonal fields are smooth functions of the diagonal fields' conformal dimensions. The limit theory is a non-trivial example of a non-diagonal, non-rational, solved two-dimensional conformal field theory.

  4 citations

• Monopole harmonics on $\mathbb{CP}^{n-1}$

  Dmitri Bykov, Andrei Smilga

  SciPost Phys. 15, 195 (2023) · published 14 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We find the spectra and eigenfunctions of both ordinary and supersymmetric quantum-mechanical models describing the motion of a charged particle over the $\mathbb{CP}^{n-1}$ manifold in the presence of a background monopole-like gauge field. The states form degenerate $SU(n)$ multiplets and their wave functions acquire a very simple form being expressed via homogeneous coordinates. Their relationship to multidimensional orthogonal polynomials of a special kind is discussed. By the well-known isomorphism between the twisted Dolbeault and Dirac complexes, our construction also gives the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the Dirac operator on complex projective spaces in a monopole background.

  4 citations

• Lectures on bulk reconstruction

  Nirmalya Kajuri

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 22 (2021) · published 2 February 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  If the AdS/CFT conjecture holds, every question about bulk physics can be answered by the boundary CFT. But we still don't know how to translate all the questions about bulk physics to questions about the boundary CFT. Completing this bulk-boundary dictionary is the aim of the bulk reconstruction program, which we review in these lectures. We cover the HKLL construction, bulk reconstruction in AdS/Rindler, mirror operator construction of Papadodimas and Raju and the Marolf-Wall paradox. These notes are based on lectures given at ST4 2018.

  4 citations

• BPS Wilson loops in mass-deformed ABJM theory: Fermi gas expansions and new defect CFT data

  Elisabetta Armanini, Luca Griguolo, Luigi Guerrini

  SciPost Phys. 17, 035 (2024) · published 6 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We compute the expectation values of BPS Wilson loops in the mass-deformed ABJM theory using the Fermi gas technique. We obtain explicit results in terms of Airy functions, effectively resumming the full 1/N expansion up to exponentially small terms. These expressions enable us to derive multi-point correlation functions for topological operators belonging to the stress tensor multiplet, in the presence of a 1/2-BPS Wilson line. From the one-point correlator, we recover the ABJM Bremsstrahlung function, confirming nicely previous results obtained through latitude Wilson loops. Likewise, higher point correlators can be used to extract iteratively new defect CFT data for higher dimensional topological operators. We present a detailed example of the dimension-two operator appearing in the OPE of two stress tensor multiplets.

  4 citations

• Boundary SymTFT

  Lakshya Bhardwaj, Christian Copetti, Daniel Pajer, Sakura Schäfer-Nameki

  SciPost Phys. 19, 061 (2025) · published 28 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study properties of boundary conditions (BCs) in theories with categorical (or non-invertible) symmetries. We describe how the transformation properties, or (generalized) charges, of BCs are captured by topological BCs of Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT), which is a topological field theory in one higher spacetime dimension. As an application of the SymTFT characterization, we discuss the symmetry properties of boundary conditions for (1+1)d gapped and gapless phases. We provide a number of concrete examples in spacetime dimensions $d=2,3$. We furthermore expand the lattice description for (1+1)d anyon chains with categorical symmetries to include boundary conditions carrying arbitrary 1-charges under the symmetry.

  4 citations

• A localising AdS$_3$ sigma model

  Lorenz Eberhardt, Matthias R. Gaberdiel

  SciPost Phys. 19, 060 (2025) · published 28 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We construct a CFT with $\mathfrak{sl}(2,\mathbb{R})_k$ symmetry at the 'tensionless' point $k=3$, which is distinct from the usual $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})_{k=3}$ WZW model. This new CFT is much simpler than the generic WZW model: in particular its three-point functions feature momentum-conserving delta functions, and its higher-point functions localise to covering map configurations in moduli space. We establish the consistency of the theory by explicitly deriving the four-point function from the three-point data via a sum over conformal blocks. The main motivation for our construction comes from holography, and we show that various simple supersymmetric holographic dualities for $k_{\rm s}=1$ ($k=3$) can be constructed by replacing the $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ factor on the worldsheet with this alternative theory. This includes in particular the prototypical case of $\mathrm{AdS}_3 × \mathrm{S}^3 × \mathbb{T}^4$, as well as the recently discussed example of $\mathrm{AdS}_3 × \mathrm{S}^3 × \mathrm{S}^3 × \mathrm{S}^1$. However, our analysis does not require supersymmetry and also applies to bosonic ${\rm AdS}_3$ backgrounds (at $k=3$).

  4 citations

• Boundary description of microstates of the two-dimensional black hole

  Amr Ahmadain, Alexander Frenkel, Krishnendu Ray, Ronak M. Soni

  SciPost Phys. 16, 020 (2024) · published 22 January 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We identify the microstates of the non-supersymmetric, asymptotically flat 2d black hole in the dual c=1 matrix quantum mechanics (MQM). We calculate the partition function of the theory using Hamiltonian methods and reproduce one of two conflicting results found by Kazakov and Tseytlin. We find the entropy by counting states and the energy by approximately solving the Schrödinger equation. The dominant contribution to the partition function in the double-scaling limit is a novel bound state that can be considered an explicit dual of the black hole microstates. This bound state is long-lived and evaporates slowly, exactly like a black hole in asymptotically flat space.

  4 citations