Quantum corrections to screening at strong coupling

TL;DR

This paper calculates how higher curvature corrections in holographic models affect screening lengths in strongly coupled plasmas, providing insights into QCD-like theories and comparing with lattice results.

Contribution

It introduces a method to compute perturbative corrections to screening lengths in holographic models with higher curvature interactions, advancing the understanding of strongly coupled plasmas.

Findings

Higher curvature interactions modify screening lengths perturbatively.

Results align qualitatively with lattice QCD data.

Provides a framework for quantitative comparisons between holography and QCD.

Abstract

We compute a certain class of corrections to (specific) screening lengths in strongly coupled nonabelian plasmas using the AdS/CFT correspondence. In this holographic framework, these corrections arise from various higher curvature interactions modifying the leading Einstein gravity action. The changes in the screening lengths are perturbative in inverse powers of the 't Hooft coupling or of the number of colours, as can be made precise in the context where the dual gauge theory is superconformal. We also compare the results of these holographic calculations to lattice results for the analogous screening lengths in QCD. In particular, we apply these results within the program of making quantitative comparisons between the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma and holographic descriptions of conformal field theory.