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  • Open Access

Data-driven refinement of an analytical holographic model for the QCD phase transition

Xun Chen1,2,*, Floriana Giannuzzi2,†, and Stefano Nicotri2,‡

  • *Contact author: chenxun@usc.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: floriana.giannuzzi@ba.infn.it
  • ‡Contact author: nicotri@infn.it
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 106007 – Published 8 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/j7wh-vf6x

Abstract

Using (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD data, we refine the parameters of an analytical holographic model via gradient descent optimization to precisely locate the critical endpoint in the T−μ plane. Specifically, we calibrate the model using input data for the speed of sound at μB=0, the second-order baryon number susceptibility χ2B, and the baryon number density at μB/T=1. With these parameters fixed, we calculate pressure and energy density versus temperature at small chemical potentials and compare the results with lattice QCD data using Taylor expansion techniques. This comparison validates the robustness of our model upon extension to finite chemical potentials, as the results show broad consistency with lattice QCD data in this regime. Finally, we employ the calibrated model to determine the coordinates of the critical endpoint in the T−μB plane, finding it located at (μB=0.678  GeV,T=0.110  GeV).

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 106007– Published 8 May, 2026
  • Received 5 December 2025
  • Accepted 8 April 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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