On Instantons at Large Charge

Abstract

The large R-charge limit of two-point functions of chiral primary operators in rank-one $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal field theories exhibits a universal behavior controlled by the effective field theory on their Coulomb branch. In the case of $SU(2)$ SQCD with four flavors, this behavior is expected to be independent of the exactly-marginal gauge coupling. We provide an analytic proof of this prediction by computing the correlators directly via supersymmetric localization. Our analysis clarifies the interplay between the weak-coupling expansion and the large-charge expansion, with special emphasis on the precise role played by gauge-theory instantons in the latter regime. We conclude with remarks on the implications of our results for analogous observables in Argyres-Douglas theories.

24 pages. New material and clarifications included, references added, typos corrected. Version accepted for publication in JHEP