On Wilson loops and $Q\bar Q$-potentials from the AdS/CFT relation at $T\geq 0$

TL;DR

This paper reviews how Wilson loops and quark-antiquark potentials are calculated using the AdS/CFT correspondence, discussing stringy and quantum corrections at finite temperature.

Contribution

It provides a concise overview of the methods and the relative significance of different corrections in the AdS/CFT approach to Wilson loops and potentials.

Findings

Stringy corrections impact the background geometry significantly.

Quantum fluctuations of the string world sheet contribute notably.

The review clarifies the interplay of various corrections at finite temperature.

Abstract

We give a short introduction to and a partial review of the work on the calculation of Wilson loops and $Q\bar Q$-potentials via the conjectured AdS/CFT duality. Included is a discussion of the relative weight of the stringy correction to the target space background versus the correction by the quantum fluctuations of the string world sheet.