Superconformal monodromy defects in $$ \mathcal{N} $$=4 SYM and LS theory

Abstract

Abstract We study type IIB supergravity solutions that are dual to two-dimensional superconformal defects in d = 4 SCFTs which preserve $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (0, 2) supersymmetry. We consider solutions dual to defects in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SYM theory that have non-trivial monodromy for U(1)3 ⊂ SO(6) global symmetry and we also allow for the possibility of conical singularities. In addition, we consider the addition of fermionic and bosonic mass terms that have non trivial dependence on the spatial directions transverse to the defect, while preserving the superconformal symmetry of the defect. We compute various physical quantities including the central charges of the defect expressed as a function of the monodromy, the on-shell action as well as associated supersymmetric Rényi entropies. Analogous computations are carried out for superconformal defects in the $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1, d = 4 Leigh-Strassler SCFT. We also show that the defects of the two SCFTs are connected by a line of bulk marginal mass deformations and argue that they are also related by bulk RG flow.