The Leading Quantum Corrections to Stringy Kahler Potentials

TL;DR

This paper calculates the leading quantum corrections to moduli kinetic terms in heterotic string compactifications, revealing corrections of order (alpha')^2 that impact moduli stabilization and no-scale structure.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed computation of leading quantum corrections to Kahler potentials in heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications, highlighting differences from type II cases.

Findings

Corrections are of order (alpha')^2, not (alpha')^3 as in other compactifications.

The structure of corrections is governed by higher-dimensional supersymmetry.

Implications for moduli stabilization and breaking no-scale structure are discussed.

Abstract

The structure of stringy quantum corrections to four-dimensional effective theories is particularly interesting for string phenomenology and attempts to stabilize moduli. We consider the heterotic string compactified on a Calabi-Yau space. For this case, we compute the leading corrections to the kinetic terms of moduli fields. The structure of these corrections is largely dictated by the underlying higher-dimensional extended supersymmetry. We find corrections generically of order (alpha')^2 rather than of order (alpha')^3 found in type II compactifications or heterotic compactifications with the standard embedding. We explore the implications of these corrections for breaking no-scale structure.