How Bob Laughlin Tamed the Giant Graviton from Taub-NUT space

TL;DR

This paper explores how two-dimensional electron systems can be modeled using string theory dualities, revealing connections to D-branes, non-commutative gauge theories, Matrix Theory, and giant gravitons, with implications for quantum Hall systems.

Contribution

It demonstrates a unified string-theoretic framework for modeling 2D electron systems and their dual descriptions, including novel insights into quantum Hall edge states.

Findings

Modeling 2D electrons with D-branes and strings

Identification of quantum Hall edge states in string theory

Connection between giant gravitons and condensed matter phenomena

Abstract

In this paper we show how two dimensional electron systems can be modeled by strings interacting with D-branes. The dualities of string theory allow several descriptions of the system. These include descriptions in terms of solitons in the near horizon D6-brane theory, non-commutative gauge theory on a D2-brane, the Matrix Theory of D0-branes and finally as a giant graviton in M-theory. The soliton can be described as a D2-brane with an incompressible fluid of D0-branes and charged string-ends moving on it. Including an NS5 brane in the system allows for the existence of an edge with the characteristic massless chiral edge states of the Quantum Hall system.