Elliptic Quantum Curves of Class ${\mathcal{S}}_k$

Abstract

Quantum curves arise from Seiberg-Witten curves associated to 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ gauge theories by promoting coordinates to non-commutative operators. In this way the algebraic equation of the curve is interpreted as an operator equation where a Hamiltonian acts on a wave-function with zero eigenvalue. We find that this structure generalises when one considers torus-compactified 6d $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ SCFTs. The corresponding quantum curves are elliptic in nature and hence the associated eigenvectors/eigenvalues can be expressed in terms of Jacobi forms. In this paper we focus on the class of 6d SCFTs arising from M5 branes transverse to a ${\mathbb{C}}^2/{\mathbb{Z}}_k$ singularity. In the limit where the compactified 2-torus has zero size, the corresponding 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ theories are known as class ${\mathcal{S}}_k$. We explicitly show that the eigenvectors associated to the quantum curve are expectation values of codimension 2 surface operators, while the corresponding eigenvalues are codimension 4 Wilson surface expectation values.

65 pages, 3 figures