Related papers: Integrability and Conformal Blocks for Surface Def…
In conformal field theory, the insertion of a defect breaks part of the global symmetry and gives rise to defect operators such as the tilts and displacements. We establish identities relating the integrated four-point functions of such…
We investigate integrability properties of Gukov-Witten 1/2-BPS surface defects in $SU(N)$ $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory in the large-$N$ limit. We demonstrate that ordinary Gukov-Witten defects, which depend on a set of…
This paper focuses on the analysis of $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=4$ superconformal theories in the presence of a defect from the point of view of the conformal bootstrap. We will concentrate first on the case of codimension one, where the defect is…
Just as exactly marginal operators allow to deform a conformal field theory along the space of theories known as the conformal manifold, appropriate operators on conformal defects allow for deformations of the defects. When a defect breaks…
We study universal features of defect correlation functions in supersymmetric defect CFTs, focusing on four-point functions of the displacement supermultiplet. By perturbing the leading-order correlators at strong coupling, we derive…
These lectures give a basic introduction to $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory and the integrability of its planar spectral problem as seen from the perspective of a recent development, namely the application of integrability techniques in the…
The four dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills (SYM) theory exhibits rich dynamics in the presence of codimension-one conformal defects. The new structure constants of the extended operator algebra consist of one-point functions of…
We use the embedding formalism to study correlation functions of a d-dimensional Euclidean CFT in the presence of a $q$ co-dimensional defect. The defect breaks the global conformal group $SO(d+1,1)$ into $SO(d-q+1,1) \times SO(q)$. We…
Surface operators are among the most important observables of the 6d $\mathcal{N} = (2,0)$ theory. Here we apply the tools of defect CFT to study local operator insertions into the 1/2-BPS plane. We first relate the 2-point function of the…
Conformal symmetry is broken by a flat or spherical defect operator $\mathcal{D}$. We show that this defect operator, may be identified as a pair of twist operators which are inserted at the tips of its causal diamond. Any $k-$point…
We study the superconformal index of five-dimensional SCFTs and the sphere partition function of four-dimensional gauge theories with eight supercharges in the presence of co-dimension two half-BPS defects. We derive a prescription which is…
We present a set of functional equations defining the anomalous dimensions of arbitrary local single trace operators in planar N=4 SYM theory. It takes the form of a Y-system based on the integrability of the dual superstring sigma-model on…
We discuss consequences of the breaking of conformal symmetry by a flat or spherical extended operator. We adapt the embedding formalism to the study of correlation functions of symmetric traceless tensors in the presence of the defect.…
We initiate the study of intersecting surface operators/defects in four-dimensional quantum field theories (QFTs). We characterize these defects by coupled 4d/2d/0d theories constructed by coupling the degrees of freedom localized at a…
We investigate the constraints of crossing symmetry on CFT correlation functions. Four point conformal blocks are naturally viewed as functions on the upper-half plane, on which crossing symmetry acts by PSL(2,Z) modular transformations.…
For SCFTs with an $SU(2)$ R-symmetry, we determine the superconformal blocks that contribute to the four-point correlation function of a priori distinct half-BPS superconformal primaries as an expansion in terms of the relevant bosonic…
We compute a set of correlation functions of operator insertions on the 1/8 BPS Wilson loop in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM by employing supersymmetric localization, OPE and the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. These correlators exhibit a simple…
We study two-point functions of single-trace half-BPS operators in the presence of a supersymmetric Wilson line in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. We use inversion formula technology in order to reconstruct the CFT data starting from a single…
We show that an integrable four-dimensional non-unitary field theory that was recently proposed as a certain limit of the $\gamma_i$-deformed $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory is incomplete and not conformal -- not even in the planar limit. We…
We examine the relation between supersymmetric localization on $\mathbb{S}^4$ and standard QFT results for non-conformal theories in flat space. Specifically, we consider 1/2 BPS circular Wilson loops in four-dimensional SU($N$)…