Related papers: The plane-wave spectrum from the worldsheet

We review different exact approaches to string theory. In the context of the Green-Schwarz superstring, we discuss the action in curved backgrounds and its supercoset formulation, with particular attention to superstring backgrounds of the…

In marked contrast to conventional string theory, ambitwistor strings remain solvable worldsheet theories when coupled to curved background fields. We use this fact to consider the quantization of ambitwistor strings on plane wave metric…

We revisit two related phenomena in $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ string theory backgrounds. At pure NS-NS flux, the spectrum contains a continuum of long strings which can escape to the boundary of $\mathrm{AdS}_3$ at a finite cost of energy. Related…

We consider the RNS superstrings in $AdS_3 \times S^3 \times {\cal M}$, where $\cal M$ may be $K3$ or $T^4$, based on $SL(2,R)$ and SU(2) WZW models. We construct the physical states and calculate the spectrum. A subsector of this theory…

We revisit the minimal tension ($k=1$) string theory on $\text{AdS}_3\times\text{S}^3\times\mathbb{T}^4$. We propose a new free-field description of the worldsheet theory and show how localization of string amplitudes emerges from the path…

String theory on NS-NS AdS_3 x S^3 admits an exactly marginal deformation which breaks the SL(2,R)_R x SL(2,R)_L isometry of AdS_3 down to SL(2,R)_R x U(1)_L. The holographic dual is an exotic and only partially understood type of…

In the presence of the constant background NS two-form gauge field, we construct the worldsheet partition functions, bulk propagators and boundary propagators for the worldsheets with a handle and a boundary. We analyze the noncommutative…

In this note, we comment on the path integral formulation of string theory on $\mathcal{M}\times\text{S}^3\times\mathbb{T}^4$ where $\mathcal{M}$ is any hyperbolic 3-manifold. In the special case of $k=1$ NS-NS flux, we provide a covariant…

These lecture notes present an elementary introduction to light-cone string field theory, with an emphasis on its application to the study of string interactions in the plane wave limit of AdS/CFT. We summarize recent results and conclude…

String on $AdS_3\times S^3\times T^4$ backgrounds are known to be classically integrable in the presence of a mixture of Ramond-Ramond and Neveu-Schwarz-Neveu-Schwarz fluxes. It is expected that this results in the existence of a…

I review aspects of string theory on plane wave backgrounds emphasising the connection to gauge theory given by the BMN correspondence. Topics covered include the Penrose limit and its role in deriving the BMN duality from AdS/CFT,…

We consider worldsheet string theory on $Z_N$ orbifolds of $AdS_3$ associated with conical singularities. If the orbifold action includes a similar twist of $S^3$, supersymmetry is preserved, and there is a moduli space of vacua arising…

The plane-wave limit of ${\rm AdS}_3 \times {\rm S}^3 \times {\rm S}^3 \times {\rm S}^1$ is analysed for generic null-geodesics that are not necessarily BPS. For the case of pure NS-NS flux it is shown how the resulting spectrum can be…

We study string theory in three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter spacetime in the path integral formalism. We derive expressions for generic spectrally-flowed near-boundary vertex operators in the Wakimoto representation, and relate their…

String theory on $\text{AdS}_3\times \text{S}^3\times \mathbb{T}^4$ with minimal $k=1$ NS-NS flux can be described in terms of a free field worldsheet theory in the hybrid formalism. We construct various D-branes of this string theory and…

We review some of the recent developments in the construction of $W$-string theories. These are generalisations of ordinary strings in which the two-dimensional ``worldsheet'' theory, instead of being a gauging of the Virasoro algebra, is a…

We study the plane wave limit of $AdS_5\times S^5/Z_2$ which arises as the near horizon geometry of D3-branes at an orientifold 7-plane in type I' theory. We analyze string theory in the resulting plane wave background which contains open…

We consider bosonic string theory on $\text{AdS}_3$ supported by Kalb-Ramond flux. It is well known that the $\alpha'$ exact worldsheet theory is described by the $\text{SL(2,R)}$ WZW model. In this note we perform checks of an $\alpha'$…

We analyse the world-sheet perturbations of string theory formulated around $AdS_3$ background. We identify a set of operators that, while added to the world-sheet action, generate the boundary fluctuations of $AdS_3$. The effect of these…

We propose a worldsheet description for the ${\rm AdS}_5\times {\rm S}^5$ string theory dual to large $N$, free ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills in four dimensions. The worldsheet theory is a natural generalisation of the recently investigated…