Bootstrapping holographic defect correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills

TL;DR

This paper develops an algorithmic method to compute two-point functions of operators in a supersymmetric gauge theory with a defect, using inversion formulas and strong coupling limits, validated by multiple consistency checks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, systematic approach to reconstruct defect correlators in $ ext{N}=4$ SYM from a single discontinuity, applicable to operators of arbitrary weight.

Findings

Derived closed-form expressions for two-point functions of operators with weights 2, 3, 4.

Validated the method against superconformal Ward identities and localization results.

Demonstrated the algorithm's potential for calculating correlators of any operator weight.

Abstract

We study two-point functions of single-trace half-BPS operators in the presence of a supersymmetric Wilson line in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. We use inversion formula technology in order to reconstruct the CFT data starting from a single discontinuity of the correlator. In the planar strong coupling limit only a finite number of conformal blocks contributes to the discontinuity, which allows us to obtain elegant closed-form expressions for two-point functions of single-trace operators $\mathcal{O}_J$ of weight $J=2,3,4$. Our final result passes a number of non-trivial consistency checks: it has the correct discontinuity, it satisfies the superconformal Ward identities, it has a sensible expansion in both defect and bulk OPEs, and is consistent with available results coming from localization. The method is completely algorithmic and can be implemented to calculate correlators of arbitrary weight.