- Open Access
Janus correlators and Heun’s equation
Phys. Rev. D 112, 126013 – Published 16 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/q2c9-jy7j
Abstract
In this paper we calculate two-point correlation functions of a massive probe scalar field in the background of the three-dimensional Janus solution. We relate the equation of motion of the scalar to Heun’s equation and use the recently obtained expressions for the connection coefficients to obtain the two-point function of operators dual to the probe scalar. From the correlators we obtain the corrections to the spectrum of boundary operators and bulk-boundary operator product coefficients to second order in the Janus deformation parameter.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Article Text
References (73)
- K. Heun, Zur theorie der riemann’schen functionen zweiter ordnung mit vier verzweigungspunkten, Math. Ann. 33, 161 (1888).
- A. Ronveaux, Heun’s Differential Equations (Oxford University Press, New York, 1995), 10.1093/oso/9780198596950.001.0001.
- M. Hortacsu, Heun functions and some of their applications in physics, Adv. High Energy Phys. 2018, 8621573 (2018).
- P. P. Fiziev, The Heun functions as a modern powerful tool for research in different scientific domains, arXiv:1512.04025.
- L. F. Alday, D. Gaiotto, and Y. Tachikawa, Liouville correlation functions from four-dimensional gauge theories, Lett. Math. Phys. 91, 167 (2010).
- L. F. Alday, D. Gaiotto, S. Gukov, Y. Tachikawa, and H. Verlinde, Loop and surface operators in gauge theory and Liouville modular geometry, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2010) 113.
- H. Awata, H. Fuji, H. Kanno, M. Manabe, and Y. Yamada, Localization with a surface operator, irregular conformal blocks and open topological string, Adv. Theor. Math. Phys. 16, 725 (2012).
- N. Nekrasov and A. Okounkov, Seiberg-Witten theory and random partitions, Progr. Math. 244, 525 (2006).
- D. Gaiotto, Asymptotically free theories and irregular conformal blocks, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 462, 012014 (2013).
- G. Aminov, A. Grassi, and Y. Hatsuda, Black hole quasinormal modes and Seiberg–Witten theory, Ann. Henri Poincare 23, 1951 (2022).
- G. Bonelli, C. Iossa, D. P. Lichtig, and A. Tanzini, Exact solution of Kerr black hole perturbations via and instanton counting: Greybody factor, quasinormal modes, and Love numbers, Phys. Rev. D 105, 044047 (2022).
- S. Noda and H. Motohashi, Spectroscopy of Kerr- spacetime with the Heun function: Quasinormal modes, greybody factor, and evaporation, Phys. Rev. D 106, 064025 (2022).
- T. Hartman, Entanglement entropy at large central charge, arXiv:1303.6955.
- A. L. Fitzpatrick, J. Kaplan, and M. T. Walters, Universality of long-distance AdS physics from the CFT bootstrap, J. High Energy Phys. 08 (2014) 145.
- A. Bhatta and T. Mandal, Exact thermal correlators of holographic CFTs, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2023) 222.
- S. He and Y. Li, Holographic Euclidean thermal correlator, J. High Energy Phys. 03 (2024) 024.
- H. F. Jia and M. Rangamani, Holographic thermal correlators and quasinormal modes from semiclassical virasoro blocks, J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2024) 047.
- J. Barragán Amado, K. Kwon, and B. Gwak, Absorption cross section in gravity’s rainbow from confluent Heun equation, Classical Quantum Gravity 41, 035005 (2024).
- M. Dodelson, A. Grassi, C. Iossa, D. Panea Lichtig, and A. Zhiboedov, Holographic thermal correlators from supersymmetric instantons, SciPost Phys. 14, 116 (2023).
- Y. F. Bautista, G. Bonelli, C. Iossa, A. Tanzini, and Z. Zhou, Black hole perturbation theory meets : Kerr-Compton amplitudes from Nekrasov-Shatashvili functions, Phys. Rev. D 109, 084071 (2024).
- P. Arnaudo and B. Withers, Exact low-temperature Green’s functions in AdS/CFT: From Heun to confluent Heun, Phys. Rev. D 111, L121903 (2025).
- W. E. Couch, Reduction of singularities in Fuchsian equations, and Heun equations for perturbations of Kerr–Newman–de Sitter and anti-de Sitter spacetimes, J. Math. Phys. (N.Y.) 66, 012502 (2025).
- A. B. Zamolodchikov, Two-dimensional conformal symmetry and critical four-spin correlation functions in the Ashkin-Teller model, Sov. Phys.—JETP 63, 1061 (1986), http://jetp.ras.ru/cgi-bin/dn/e_063_05_1061.pdf.
- A. Litvinov, S. Lukyanov, N. Nekrasov, and A. Zamolodchikov, Classical conformal blocks and Painleve VI, J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2014) 144.
- G. Bonelli, C. Iossa, D. Panea Lichtig, and A. Tanzini, Irregular Liouville correlators and connection formulae for Heun functions, Commun. Math. Phys. 397, 635 (2023).
- O. Lisovyy and A. Naidiuk, Perturbative connection formulas for Heun equations, J. Phys. A 55, 434005 (2022).
- B. C. da Cunha and J. a. P. Cavalcante, Expansions for semiclassical conformal blocks, J. High Energy Phys. 08 (2024) 110.
- H. Desiraju, P. Ghosal, and A. Prokhorov, Proof of Zamolodchikov conjecture for semi-classical conformal blocks on the torus, arXiv:2407.05839.
- C. Iossa, Heun connection formulae from Liouville correlators, Ph.D. thesis, SISSA, Trieste, 2023.
- D. Bak, M. Gutperle, and S. Hirano, A Dilatonic deformation of and its field theory dual, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2003) 072.
- A. Clark and A. Karch, Super Janus, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2005) 094.
- N. Bobev, K. Pilch, and N. P. Warner, Supersymmetric Janus solutions in four dimensions, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2014) 058.
- M. Suh, Supersymmetric Janus solutions in five and ten dimensions, J. High Energy Phys. 09 (2011) 064.
- P. Karndumri, Supersymmetric Janus solutions in four-dimensional gauged supergravity, Phys. Rev. D 93, 125012 (2016).
- K. Chen and M. Gutperle, Janus solutions in three-dimensional gauged supergravity, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2021) 008.
- M. Chiodaroli, M. Gutperle, and D. Krym, Half-BPS solutions locally asymptotic to and interface conformal field theories, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2010) 066.
- M. Chiodaroli, M. Gutperle, and L.-Y. Hung, Boundary entropy of supersymmetric Janus solutions, J. High Energy Phys. 09 (2010) 082.
- M. Gutperle, J. Kaidi, and H. Raj, Janus solutions in six-dimensional gauged supergravity, J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2017) 018.
- E. D’Hoker, J. Estes, and M. Gutperle, Exact half-BPS Type IIB interface solutions. II. Flux solutions and multi-Janus, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2007) 022.
- E. D’Hoker, J. Estes, and M. Gutperle, Exact half-BPS Type IIB interface solutions. I. Local solution and supersymmetric Janus, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2007) 021.
- E. D’Hoker, J. Estes, M. Gutperle, and D. Krym, Janus solutions in M-theory, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2009) 018.
- A. B. Clark, D. Z. Freedman, A. Karch, and M. Schnabl, Dual of the Janus solution: An interface conformal field theory, Phys. Rev. D 71, 066003 (2005).
- E. D’Hoker, J. Estes, and M. Gutperle, Interface Yang-Mills, supersymmetry, and Janus, Nucl. Phys. B753, 16 (2006).
- D. Gaiotto and E. Witten, Janus configurations, Chern-Simons couplings, and the theta-Angle in super Yang-Mills theory, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2010) 097.
- D. Bak, M. Gutperle, and S. Hirano, Three dimensional Janus and time-dependent black holes, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2007) 068.
- D. Z. Freedman, C. Nunez, M. Schnabl, and K. Skenderis, Fake supergravity and domain wall stability, Phys. Rev. D 69, 104027 (2004).
- C. Bachas, J. de Boer, R. Dijkgraaf, and H. Ooguri, Permeable conformal walls and holography, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2002) 027.
- M. Gutperle and J. Samani, Holographic RG-flows and boundary CFTs, Phys. Rev. D 86, 106007 (2012).
- P. Breitenlohner and D. Z. Freedman, Stability in gauged extended supergravity, Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 144, 249 (1982).
- I. R. Klebanov and E. Witten, AdS/CFT correspondence and symmetry breaking, Nucl. Phys. B556, 89 (1999).
- C. Melby-Thompson and C. Schmidt-Colinet, Double trace interfaces, J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2017) 110.
- M. Bianchi, D. Z. Freedman, and K. Skenderis, Holographic renormalization, Nucl. Phys. B631, 159 (2002).
- P. Kraus, F. Larsen, and R. Siebelink, The gravitational action in asymptotically AdS and flat space-times, Nucl. Phys. B563, 259 (1999).
- K. Skenderis, Lecture notes on holographic renormalization, Classical Quantum Gravity 19, 5849 (2002).
- D. M. McAvity and H. Osborn, Conformal field theories near a boundary in general dimensions, Nucl. Phys. B455, 522 (1995).
- M. Billò, V. Gonçalves, E. Lauria, and M. Meineri, Defects in conformal field theory, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2016) 091.
- P. Liendo, L. Rastelli, and B. C. van Rees, The bootstrap program for boundary , J. High Energy Phys. 07 (2013) 113.
- D. Consoli, F. Fucito, J. F. Morales, and R. Poghossian, CFT description of BH’s and ECO’s: QNMs, superradiance, echoes and tidal responses, J. High Energy Phys. 12 (2022) 115.
- F. Ferrari and M. Piatek, Liouville theory, gauge theories and accessory parameters, J. High Energy Phys. 05 (2012) 025.
- M. Beşken, S. Datta, and P. Kraus, Semi-classical virasoro blocks: Proof of exponentiation, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2020) 109.
- M. R. Piatek, R. G. Nazmitdinov, A. Puente, and A. R. Pietrykowski, Classical conformal blocks, Coulomb gas integrals and Richardson-Gaudin models, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2022) 098.
- H. Bateman, Tables of Integral Transforms, Vol. 2 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954).
- H. Bateman, Tables of Integral Transforms, Vol. 1 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954).
- H. Nicolai and H. Samtleben, matter coupled supergravities, Phys. Lett. B 514, 165 (2001).
- K. Chen, M. Gutperle, and C. Hultgreen-Mena, Janus and RG-flow interfaces in three-dimensional gauged supergravity, J. High Energy Phys. 03 (2022) 057.
- M. Gutperle and C. Hultgreen-Mena, Janus and RG interfaces in three-dimensional gauged supergravity. Part II. General , J. High Energy Phys. 08 (2022) 126.
- A. Karch, Y. Kusuki, H. Ooguri, H.-Y. Sun, and M. Wang, Universality of effective central charge in interface CFTs, J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2023) 126.
- A. Karch, Y. Kusuki, H. Ooguri, H.-Y. Sun, and M. Wang, Universal bound on effective central charge and its saturation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 091604 (2024).
- S. A. Baig, A. Karch, and M. Wang, Transmission coefficient of super-Janus solution, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2024) 235.
- M. Stone, The laplacian and its eigenfunctions on Lobachevskii space, https://people.physics.illinois.edu/stone/hyperbolic_laplacian.pdf.
- M. Chiodaroli, J. Estes, and Y. Korovin, Holographic two-point functions for Janus interfaces in the d1/d5 CFT, J. High Energy Phys. 04 (2017) 145.
- NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions, https://dlmf.nist.gov/, Release 1.2.3 of 2024-12-15.
- J. Ren and Z. Yu, Holographic thermal correlators from recursions, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2025) 183.