Related papers: Wilson Loops, D-Branes, and Reparametrization Path…

We study the two circular Wilson loop correlator in which one is of anti-symmetric representation, while the other is of fundamental representation in 4-dimensional ${\cal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory. This correlator has a good AdS dual,…

The AdS/CFT correspondence predicts a phase transition in Wilson loop correlators in the strong coupling N=4, D=4 SYM theory which arises due to instability of the classical string stretched between the loops. We study this transition in…

We prove that Wilson loop expectation values for arbitrary simple closed contours obey an area law up to second order in perturbative two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory. Our analysis occurs within a general family of axial-like gauges, which…

We initiate the calculation of loop corrections to correlation functions in 4D defect CFTs. More precisely, we consider N=4 SYM with a codimension-one defect separating two regions of space, x_3>0 and x_3<0, where the gauge group is SU(N)…

We resolve a puzzle in the theory of strings propagating on locally flat spacetimes with nontrivial Wilson lines for stringy Z_N gauge symmetries. We find that strings probing such backgrounds are described by consistent worldsheet CFTs.…

We compute the 1-loop partition function for strings in $AdS_4\times\mathbb{CP}^3$, whose worldsheets end along a line with small cusp angles in the boundary of AdS. We obtain these 1-loop results in terms of the vacuum energy for on-shell…

The standard prescription for computing Wilson loops in the AdS/CFT correspondence in the large coupling regime and tree-level involves minimizing the string action. In many cases the action has more than one saddle point as in the simple…

We study light-like polygonal Wilson loops in three-dimensional Chern-Simons and ABJM theory to two-loop order. For both theories we demonstrate that the one-loop contribution to these correlators cancels. For pure Chern-Simons, we find…

In this Ph.D. thesis, we study some aspects of strings and branes. We mainly focus on anomalous D-brane couplings and on non-supersymmetric branes. In Chapter 2, we illustrate three key concepts in a field theory context: duality,…

In earlier work we proposed a string theory dual to two dimensional Yang-Mills theory at zero coupling (which can also be thought of as a $BF$ theory), given by a Polyakov-like generalization of Ho\v rava's topological rigid string theory,…

We discuss gluon scattering amplitudes/null-polygonal Wilson loops of N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory at strong coupling based on the gauge/string duality and its underlying integrability. We focus on the amplitudes/Wilson loops corresponding…

We revisit the Holographic duality between $SU(N)_\kappa$ Chern-Simons theory and the A-model Topological String Theory. We develop a strategy to systematically compute the large $N$ saddles for correlation functions of Wilson lines in…

System of a D-brane in bosonic string theory on a constant $B$ field background is studied in order to obtain further insight into the bulk-boundary duality. Boundary states which describe arbitrary numbers of open-string tachyons and…

We study insertions of composite operators into Wilson loops in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions. The loops follow a circular or straight path and the composite insertions transform in the adjoint representation of…

We study dual conformal transformations of minimal area surfaces in $AdS_5 \times S^5$ corresponding to holographic smooth Wilson loops and some other related observables. To act with dual conformal transformations we map the string…

Monte Carlo studies of pure glue SU(3) gauge theory using the overlap-based topological charge operator have revealed a laminar structure in the QCD vacuum consisting of extended, thin, coherent, locally 3-dimensional sheets of topological…

We investigate the algebra generated by the topological Wilson loop operators in WZW models. Wilson loops describe the nontrivial fixed points of the boundary renormalization group flows triggered by Kondo perturbations. Their enveloping…

We study the vacuum expectation value of half-BPS Wilson loop operators in two families of superconformal $\mathcal{N}=2$ Chern-Simons-matter theories. The first family is dual to AdS$_{4}$ solutions in M-theory, while the second one has a…

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 clarify certain aspects and discuss extensions of the recently introduced string D-instanton calculus (hep-th/0609191). The one-loop determinants are related to one-loop open string threshold corrections in intersecting D6-brane models.…