Related papers: Phases of $\mathbf{U(N_c)}$ QCD$_3$ from Type 0 St…
Supersymmetric Sp(k) quantum chromodynamics with 8 supercharges in space-time dimensions 3 to 6 can be realised by two different Type II brane configurations in the presence of orientifolds. Consequently, two types of magnetic quivers…
We study a three-dimensional N=3 U(N)_k x U(N)_{-k} Chern-Simons matter theory with flavour, corresponding to the N=6 Aharony-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena CSM theory coupled to 2N_f fundamental fields. The dual holographic description is…
In this paper we consider the gauge theory living on the world-volume of a stack of N D3-branes of Type 0B/\Omega' I_6(-1)^{F_{L}} and of its orbifolds C^2/Z_2 and C^3/(Z_2 x Z_2). The gauge theories obtained in the three cases are a brane…
We construct three-dimensional N=2 Chern-Simons-quiver theories which are holographically dual to the M-theory Freund-Rubin solutions AdS_4 x V_{5,2}/Z_k (with or without torsion G-flux), where V_{5,2} is a homogeneous Sasaki-Einstein…
We study ${\mathcal{N}}=2$ supersymmetric $U(N)$ Chern-Simons with $N_{f}$ fundamental and $N_{f}$ antifundamental chiral multiplets of mass $m$ in the complete parameter space spanned by $(g,\,m,\,N,\,N_{f})$, where $g$ denotes the…
We observe a relation between closed strings tachyons and one-loop instabilities in non-supersymmetric non-commutative gauge theories. In particular we analyze the spectra of type IIB string theory on C^3/Z_N orbifold singularities and the…
We study a brane configuration of D4-branes and NS5-branes in weakly coupled type IIA string theory, which describes in a particular limit d=4 N=1 SU(N+p) supersymmetric QCD with 2N flavors and a quartic superpotential. We describe the…
Following [1] we study a QCD-like gauge theory using a non-supersymmetric setup in type IIB string theory. The setup includes an $O3$ plane and $N$ D3 anti-branes and it realises a $USp(2N)$ 'electric' gauge theory with four "quarks" in the…
Starting from the N=1 SU(N_c) x SU(N_c') gauge theory with fundamental and bifundamental flavors, we apply the Seiberg dual to the first gauge group and obtain the N=1 dual gauge theory with dual matters including the gauge singlets. By…
We consider generalizations of the AdS/CFT correspondence in which probe branes are embedded in gravity backgrounds dual to either conformal or confining gauge theories. These correspond to defect conformal field theories (dCFT) or QCD-like…
We extend the recently proposed symmetry breaking scenario of QCD$_3$ to the so-called "master" $(2+1)$d bosonization duality, which has bosonic and fermionic matter on both ends. Using anomaly arguments, a phase diagram emerges with…
We study string theory propagating on R^6 times K3 by constructing orientifolds of Type IIB string theory compactified on the T^4/Z_N orbifold limits of the K3 surface. This generalises the Z_2 case studied previously. The orientifold…
We use dyonic brane configurations of type 0 string theory to study large N non-supersymmetric 4d gauge theories. The brane configurations define theories similar to the supersymmetric ones which arise in type II. We find the non-SUSY…
We introduce a realization of Seiberg duality in MQCD that does not involve moving branes. Using related arguments in M Theory and IIA, we investigate the flavor symmetry breaking via flavored magnetic monopole condensation of…
In this talk we review some generalizations of 't Hooft and Mandelstam ideas on confinement for theories with non-Abelian unbroken gauge groups. In order to do that, we consider N=2 super Yang-Mills with one flavor and a mass breaking term.…
We discuss the dynamics of three dimensional Maxwell theory coupled to a level $k$ Chern-Simons term. Motivated by S-duality in string theory we argue that the theory admits an S-dual description. The S-dual theory contains a non-gauge…
We analyze the propagation of open and unoriented strings on the Neveu-Schwarz pentabrane (N5-brane) along the lines of a similar analysis for the SU(2) WZNW models. We discuss the two classes of open descendants of the diagonal models and…
We study 2+1 dimensional gauge theories with a Chern-Simons term and a fermion in the adjoint representation. We apply general considerations of symmetries, anomalies, and renormalization group flows to determine the possible phases of the…
We discuss gauge theories on D3 branes embedded in special non-tachyonic orientifolds of the 0B string theory. In general, they correspond to non-supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theories with scalars in the adjoint representation and spinors in…
Following the RG flow of an N=1 quiver gauge theory and applying Seiberg duality whenever necessary defines a duality cascade, that in simple cases has been understood holographically. It has been argued that in certain cases, the dualities…