Quantum Gravity on AdS${}_3\times$S${}^3$ from CFT: Bootstrapping $n=21$

Abstract

We consider the simplest four-point scattering amplitude of $SO(n)$ tensor multiplets in six-dimensional (2,0) supergravity on AdS${}_3\times$S${}^3$. Using crossing symmetry and the consistency of the operator product expansion in the dual CFT, we explicitly construct the one-loop contribution to the correlator at order $1/c^2$, both in position space and in Mellin space. We show that a strong form of the bootstrap equations imposes constraints on the value of $n$. Remarkably, we find that our bootstrap approach uniquely determines $n=21$, which corresponds to the spectrum of IIB string theory compactified on K3. This stands in sharp contrast to the tree-level correlator for which $n$ is unconstrained. We also analyse the spectrum of unprotected double-trace operators and solve the mixing problem in the first case that involves both tensor and graviton correlators. When $n=21$, the anomalous dimensions rationalise and one of them vanishes. Lastly, we study the flat-space limit of the correlator and find perfect agreement with the one-loop amplitude recently obtained in [arXiv:2510.24558].

40 pages + appendices | v2: several minor improvements, added comments on the $T^4$ compactification; published version