Correlators of chiral primaries and 1/8 BPS Wilson loops from perturbation theory

We study at perturbative level the correlation functions of a general class of 1/8 BPS Wilson loops and chiral primaries in N = 4 Super Yang-Mills theory. The contours and the location of operator insertions share a sphere S^2 embedded into spacetime and the system preserves at least two supercharges. We perform explicit two-loop computations, for some particular but still rather general configuration, that confirm the elegant results expected from localization procedure. We find notably full consistency with the multi-matrix model averages, obtained from 2D Yang-Mills theory on the sphere, when interacting diagrams do not cancel and contribute non-trivially to the final answer.Comment: 30 pages, 13 figure

Instantons, Fluxons and Open Gauge String Theory

We use the exact instanton expansion to illustrate various string characteristics of noncommutative gauge theory in two dimensions. We analyse the spectrum of the model and present some evidence in favour of Hagedorn and fractal behaviours. The decompactification limit of noncommutative torus instantons is shown to map in a very precise way, at both the classical and quantum level, onto fluxon solutions on the noncommutative plane. The weak-coupling singularities of the usual Gross-Taylor string partition function for QCD on the torus are studied in the instanton representation and its double scaling limit, appropriate for the mapping onto noncommutative gauge theory, is shown to be a generating function for the volumes of the principal moduli spaces of holomorphic differentials. The noncommutative deformation of this moduli space geometry is described and appropriate open string interpretations are proposed in terms of the fluxon expansion.Comment: 70 pages, 6 figure

Surprises from the resummation of ladders in the ABJ(M) cusp anomalous dimension

We study the cusp anomalous dimension in N=6 ABJ(M) theory, identifying a scaling limit in which the ladder diagrams dominate. The resummation is encoded into a Bethe-Salpeter equation that is mapped to a Schroedinger problem, exactly solvable due to the surprising supersymmetry of the effective Hamiltonian. In the ABJ case the solution implies the diagonalization of the U(N) and U(M) building blocks, suggesting the existence of two independent cusp anomalous dimensions and an unexpected exponentiation structure for the related Wilson loops. While consistent with previous perturbative analysis, the strong coupling limit of our result does not agree with the string theory computation, emphasizing a difference with the analogous resummation in the N=4 case.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures, references added, published versio

Bremsstrahlung function, leading Luscher correction at weak coupling and localization

We discuss the near BPS expansion of the generalized cusp anomalous dimension with L units of R-charge. Integrability provides an exact solution, obtained by solving a general TBA equation in the appropriate limit: we propose here an alternative method based on supersymmetric localization. The basic idea is to relate the computation to the vacuum expectation value of certain 1/8 BPS Wilson loops with local operator insertions along the contour. These observables localize on a two-dimensional gauge theory on S^2, opening the possibility of exact calculations. As a test of our proposal, we reproduce the leading Luscher correction at weak coupling to the generalized cusp anomalous dimension. This result is also checked against a genuine Feynman diagram approach in N=4 Super Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures. References added and typos correcte

Perturbative evaluation of circular 1/2 BPS Wilson loops in N = 6 Super Chern-Simons theories

We present a complete two-loop analysis of the quantum expectation value for circular BPS Wilson loops in ABJ(M) theories. We examine in details the 1/2 BPS case, that requires non-trivial fermionic couplings with the contour, finding perfect agreement with the exact matrix model answer at zero framing. The result is obtained through a careful application of DRED regularization scheme, combined with a judicious rearrangement of the relevant perturbative contributions that reduces the computation to simple integrals. We carefully analyze the contribution of fermions that is crucial for the consistency with the localization procedure and point out the arising of pivotal evanescent terms, discussing their meaning in relation to Ward identities.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures, Referemces adde

Supersymmetric Wilson loops at two loops

We study the quantum properties of certain BPS Wilson loops in ${\cal N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. They belong to a general family, introduced recently, in which the addition of particular scalar couplings endows generic loops on $S^3$ with a fraction of supersymmetry. When restricted to $S^2$, their quantum average has been further conjectured to be exactly computed by the matrix model governing the zero-instanton sector of YM$_2$ on the sphere. We perform a complete two-loop analysis on a class of cusped Wilson loops lying on a two-dimensional sphere, finding perfect agreement with the conjecture. The perturbative computation reproduces the matrix-model expectation through a highly non-trivial interplay between ladder diagrams and self-energies/vertex contributions, suggesting the existence of a localization procedure.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures, typos corrected, references adde

Probing Wilson loops in N=4{\cal N}=4 Chern-Simons-matter theories at weak coupling

For three-dimensional ${\cal N}=4$ super Chern-Simons-matter theories associated to necklace quivers $U(N_0) \times U(N_1) \times \cdots U(N_{2r-1})$, we study at quantum level the two kinds of 1/2 BPS Wilson loop operators recently introduced in arXiv:1506.07614. We perform a two-loop evaluation and find the same result for the two kinds of operators, so moving to higher loops a possible quantum uplift of the classical degeneracy. We also compute the 1/4 BPS bosonic Wilson loop and discuss the quantum version of the cohomological equivalence between fermionic and bosonic Wilson loops. We compare the perturbative result with the Matrix Model prediction and find perfect matching, after identification and remotion of a suitable framing factor. Finally, we discuss the potential appearance of three-loop contributions that might break the classical degeneracy and briefly analyse possible implications on the BPS nature of these operators.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Correlators of Hopf Wilson loops in the AdS/CFT correspondence

We study at quantum level correlators of supersymmetric Wilson loops with contours lying on Hopf fibers of $S^3$. In $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM theory the strong coupling analysis can be performed using the AdS/CFT correspondence and a connected classical string surface, linking two different fibers, is presented. More precisely, the string solution describes oppositely oriented fibers with the same scalar coupling and depends on an angular parameter, interpolating between a non-BPS configuration and a BPS one. The system can be thought as an alternative deformation of the ordinary antiparallel lines giving the static quark-antiquark potential, that is indeed correctly reproduced, at weak and strong coupling, as the fibers approach one another.Comment: 38 pages, 5 figure

A matrix model for the latitude Wilson loop in ABJM theory

In ABJ(M) theory, we propose a matrix model for the exact evaluation of BPS Wilson loops on a latitude circular contour, so providing a new weak-strong interpolation tool. Intriguingly, the matrix model turns out to be a particular case of that computing torus knot invariants in $U(N_1|N_2)$ Chern-Simons theory. At weak coupling we check our proposal against a three-loop computation, performed for generic framing, winding number and representation. The matrix model is amenable of a Fermi gas formulation, which we use to systematically compute the strong coupling and genus expansions. For the fermionic Wilson loop the leading planar behavior agrees with a previous string theory prediction. For the bosonic operator our result provides a clue for finding the corresponding string dual configuration. Our matrix model is consistent with recent proposals for computing Bremsstrahlung functions exactly in terms of latitude Wilson loops. As a by-product, we extend the conjecture for the exact $B^{\theta}_{1/6}$ Bremsstrahlung function to generic representations and test it with a four-loop perturbative computation. Finally, we propose an exact prediction for $B_{1/2}$ at unequal gauge group ranks.Comment: 73 pages; v2: several improvements, JHEP published versio

BPS Wilson loops and Bremsstrahlung function in ABJ(M): a two loop analysis

We study a family of circular BPS Wilson loops in N=6 super Chern-Simons-matter theories, generalizing the usual 1/2-BPS circle. The scalar and fermionic couplings depend on two deformation parameters and these operators can be considered as the ABJ(M) counterpart of the DGRT latitudes defined in N=4 SYM. We perform a complete two-loop analysis of their vacuum expectation value, discuss the framing dependence and propose a general relation with cohomologically equivalent bosonic operators. We make an all-loop proposal for computing the Bremsstrahlung function associated to the 1/2-BPS cusp in terms of these generalized Wilson loops. When applied to our two-loop result it reproduces the known expression. Finally, we comment on the generalization of this proposal to the bosonic 1/6-BPS case.Comment: 46 pages, 6 figures; references adde