Vortex Loop Operators, M2-branes and Holography

Abstract

We construct vortex loop operators in the three-dimensional N = 6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons theory recently constructed by Aharony, Bergman, Jafferis and Maldacena. These disorder loop operators are specified by a vortex-like singularity for the scalar and gauge fields along a one dimensional curve in spacetime. We identify the 1/2, 1/3 and 1/6 BPS loop operators in the Chern-Simons theory with excitations of M-theory corresponding to M2-branes ending along a curve on the boundary of AdS_4 x S^7/Z_k. The vortex loop operators can also be given a purely geometric description in terms of regular "bubbling" solutions of eleven dimensional supergravity which are asymptotically AdS_4 x S^7/Z_k.

62 pages; v2 references added; v3 resolved remaining issue regarding odd k, version to appear in JHEP; v4 correction to VEV calculation in sec. 3

References in corpus (34)

• N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons-matter theories, M2-branes and their gravity duals
• Gauge Symmetry and Supersymmetry of Multiple M2-Branes
• Algebraic structures on parallel M2-branes
• Superconformal Chern-Simons Theories and AdS_4/CFT_3 Correspondence
• Notes on Superconformal Chern-Simons-Matter Theories
• Holographic Wilson Loops
• A supermatrix model for N=6 super Chern-Simons-matter theory
• Wilson Loops of Anti-symmetric Representation and D5-branes
• Spin Chains in N=6 Superconformal Chern-Simons-Matter Theory
• Wilson loops in 3-dimensional N=6 supersymmetric Chern-Simons Theory and their string theory duals
• Wilson Loops in Superconformal Chern-Simons Theory and Fundamental Strings in Anti-de Sitter Supergravity Dual
• On gravitational description of Wilson lines
• Studies of the ABJM Theory in a Formulation with Manifest SU(4) R-Symmetry
• Gravity duals of half-BPS Wilson loops
• A Massive Study of M2-brane Proposals
• Three-dimensional N=6 SCFT's and their membrane dynamics
• On M5-branes in N=6 Membrane Action
• 1/2-BPS states in M theory and defects in the dual CFTs
• Supersymmetric Wilson loops in N=4 super Chern-Simons-matter theory
• Probing N=4 SYM With Surface Operators
• Wilson Loops in N=4 SYM and Fermion Droplets
• Anatomy of bubbling solutions
• Wilson loop correlators at strong coupling: from matrices to bubbling geometries
• Bubbling Surface Operators And S-Duality
• Holographic Gauge Theories in Background Fields and Surface Operators
• Gauge/gravity duality with a chiral N=(0,8) string defect
• Operator product expansion of higher rank Wilson loops from D-branes and matrix models
• M2-M5 Systems in N=6 Chern-Simons Theory
• Fuzzy Ring from M2-brane Giant Torus
• Exact 1/4 BPS Loop - Chiral Primary Correlator
• Holography of BPS surface operators
• Operator Product Expansion of Wilson surfaces from M5-branes
• Wilson Loops in 3d QFT from D-branes in AdS(4) x CP**3
• Abelian Vortex in Bagger-Lambert-Gustavsson Theory

Cited by in corpus (42)

• From weak to strong coupling in ABJM theory
• A supermatrix model for N=6 super Chern-Simons-matter theory
• Simplifying superstring and D-brane actions in AdS(4) x CP(3) superbackground
• 1/2-BPS Wilson Loops and Vortices in ABJM Model
• From the Weyl Anomaly to Entropy of Two-Dimensional Boundaries and Defects
• Exact results for supersymmetric abelian vortex loops in 2+1 dimensions
• Roadmap on Wilson loops in 3d Chern-Simons-matter theories
• Quantum 't Hooft operators and S-duality in N=4 super Yang-Mills
• Mirror symmetry and line operators
• Intersecting Surface Defects and Two-Dimensional CFT
• Vortex-type Half-BPS Solitons in ABJM Theory
• On Half-BPS States of the ABJM Theory
• SDiff Gauge Theory and the M2 Condensate
• Holography of BPS surface operators
• Integrable domain walls in ABJM theory
• A profusion of $1/2$ BPS Wilson loops in $\mathcal{N}=4$ Chern-Simons-matter theories
• Giant Gravitons on AdS_4 x CP^3 and their Holographic Three-point Functions
• Classifying Superconformal Defects in Diverse Dimensions Part I: Superconformal Lines
• Holographic Line Defects in $D=4$, $N=2$ Gauged Supergravity
• Exact results for vortex loop operators in 3d supersymmetric theories
• Notes on hyperloops in N=4 Chern-Simons-matter theories
• Interpolating Wilson loops and enriched RG flows
• BPS Wilson loops and quiver varieties
• Exact results for boundaries and domain walls in 2d supersymmetric theories
• Surface operators in the Klebanov-Witten theory
• Janus on the Brane
• Supersymmetric vortex loops in 3D gauge theories
• 1/3 BPS loops and defect CFTs in ABJM theory
• Light-cone analysis of ungauged and topologically gauged BLG theories
• On a new type of orbifold equivalence and M-theoretic AdS4/CFT3 duality
• Conformal and non-conformal hyperloop deformations of the 1/2 BPS circle
• Classifying BPS bosonic Wilson loops in 3d $\mathcal{N}=4$ Chern-Simons-matter theories
• Holographic Generalised Gukov-Witten Defects
• Vortex loop operators and quantum M2-branes
• An Operator Product Expansion for the Mutual Information in AdS/CFT
• ADHM Wilson line defect indices
• Abelian dualities and line defect indices for 3d gauge theories
• Mirror Symmetry And Loop Operators
• BPS $M2$-branes in $Ad{S}_4\times Q^{1,1,1}$ Dual to Loop Operators
• M5-branes in AdS${}_4\times Q^{1,1,1}$ spacetime
• Holographic Wilson Loop One-point Functions in ABJM Theory
• A network of hyperloops