This master thesis is framed in the striking correspondence between gravity theories in Anti-de Sitter spacetime (AdS) and Conformal Field Theories (CFT). This is usually known as AdS/CFT duality and relates gravity theories in the bulk with CFTs that live in their conformal boundary. We start by presenting the notion of CFTs and some of the results and techniques that are widely used in this field. This includes conformal correlators for scalar and spin operators, the state-operator correspondence and the operator product expansion (OPE) of operators. The embedding formalism and the index-free notation to encode tensors in polynomials are also discussed and used throughout this work. The basic notions of AdS are outlined and CFT at finite temperature is then introduced. We include a review of thermal blocks and thermal coefficients for a thermal two-point function between scalar fields in mean field theory. We then analyse the thermal two-point function for conserved currents, which was not known in the literature. Finally, we start a study of its thermal blocks and thermal coefficients for the mean field theory application.

Auf sehr kleinen Längenskalen erlaubt die Weltflächenbeschreibung über zweidimensionale konforme Feldtheorien eine störungstheoretische Definition der String-Theorie. Viele strukturelle Eigenschaften und phänomenologische Implikationen der letzteren können mit Hilfe von D(irichlet)-Branen untersucht werden, die in der zugrunde liegenden Weltflächentheorie durch konforme Randbedingungen beschrieben werden. Etliche interessante Hintergründe für die String-Theorie erhält man über Gruppenmannigfaltigkeiten und Coset-Modelle. Neben wichtigen Beispielen wie SL(2,R), SU(2) und Gepner-Modellen, die für AdS- und Calabi-Yau-Kompaktifizierungen eine Rolle spielen, beinhalten sie außerdem weitere Beispiele wie den Nappi-Witten-Hintergrund oder den Raum T^11, die über eine asymmetrische Wirkung der Eichgruppe definiert sind und eine kosmologische Raumzeit mit Urknall- und Weltsturz-Singularitäten bzw. die Basis des Conifolds beschreiben. Die vorliegende Arbeit bietet eine umfassende, auf den exakten Methoden der konformen Feldtheorie beruhende Analyse von asymmetrischen Coset-Modellen. Wegen der heterotischen Natur der zugrundeliegenden Symmetriealgebra erlauben diese Modelle nur Randbedingungen, die einen Teil der Symmetrie brechen. Nach einer allgemeinen Erläuterung der Grundidee für die Konstruktion von symmetriebrechenden Randbedingungen richtet sich das Hauptaugenmerk auf WZNW- und asymmetrische Coset-Modelle, die das Fundament nahezu aller bekannten konformen Feldtheorien bilden. Mit Hilfe der erzielten Ergebnisse werden die Struktur sowie die Geometrie von D-Branen in den Gruppen SL(2,R) und SU(2), im Hintergrund AdS_3 x S^3, in der kosmologischen Nappi-Witten-Raumzeit und in T^pq-Räumen untersucht. Die Techniken, die in dieser Arbeit entwickelt werden, erlauben jedoch ebenso die Behandlung von Rändern und Kontaktstellen in (1+1)- oder 2-dimensionalen kritischen Systemen, die in der Festkörpertheorie oder der statistischen Physik auftreten. Insbesondere können Defektlinien beschrieben werden, die weder totale Reflexion noch völlige Transmission aufweisen. / At very small length scales, the world sheet approach in terms of two-dimensional conformal field theories provides a perturbative definition of string theory. Many structural properties and phenomenological implications of the latter can be explored using D(irichlet)-branes which may be identified with conformal boundary conditions in the underlying world sheet theory. Several interesting backgrounds in string theory arise from group manifolds and coset theories. Apart from prominent examples such as SL(2,R), SU(2) and Gepner models which play a role in AdS and Calabi-Yau compactifications, they also include further instances like the Nappi-Witten background or the space T^11 which are constructed using an asymmetric action of the gauge group and which describe a cosmological space-time with big-bang and big-crunch singularities and the base of the conifold, respectively. The present thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of asymmetric cosets based on the exact methods of boundary conformal field theory. Due to the heterotic nature of the underlying symmetry algebra, the models only allow for conformal boundary conditions which break parts of the bulk symmetry. The universal ideas for the construction of symmetry breaking boundary conditions are indicated and applied in detail to WZNW and asymmetric coset theories which provide the basic building blocks of almost all known conformal field theories. The general results are used to investigate the structure and shape of D-branes in the group manifolds SL(2,R) and SU(2), the background AdS_3 x S^3, the cosmological Nappi-Witten space-time and T^pq-spaces. The techniques developed in this thesis also allow for a treatment of boundaries and junctions in (1+1)- or 2-dimensional critical systems in condensed matter theory and statistical physics. In particular, they enable us to describe defect lines which go beyond full reflection or transmission.

We study three types of theories, using supersymmetry and ideas from string theory as tools to gain understanding of systems of more general interest. Firstly, we introduce non-relativistic Chern-Simons-matter field theories in three dimensions and study their anyonic spectrum in a conformal phase. These theories have supersymmetric completions, which in the non-relativistic case suffices to protect certain would-be BPS quantities from corrections. This allows us to compute one-loop exact anomalous dimensions of various bound states of non-Abelian anyons, analyse some interesting unitarity bound violations, and test some recently proposed bosonization dualities. Secondly, we turn on a chemical potential and break conformal invariance, putting the theory into the regime of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQHE). This is illustrated in detail: the theory supports would-be BPS vortices which model the electrons of the FQHE, and they form bag-like states with the appropriate filling fractions, Hall conductivities, and anyonic excitations. This formalism makes possible some novel explicit computations: an analytic calculation of the anyonic phases experienced by Abelian quasiholes; analytic relationships to the boundary Wess-Zumino-Witten model; and derivations of a wide class of QHE wavefunctions from a bulk field theory. We also further test the three-dimensional bosonization dualities in this new setting. Along the way, we accumulate new descriptions of the QHE. Finally, we turn away from flat space and investigate a problem in (3+1)-dimensional quantum gravity. We find that even as an effective theory, the theory has enough structure to suggest the inclusion of certain gravitational instantons in the path integral. An explicit computation in a minimally supersymmetric case illustrates the principles at work, and highlights the role of a hitherto unidentified scale in quantum gravity. It also is an interesting result in itself: a non-perturbative quantum instability of a flat supersymmetric Kaluza-Klein compactification.

La réalisation expérimentale de la condensation de Bose-Einstein (BEC) a ouvert un nouveau champ d'investigation très fertile dans l'étude des atomes froids. En particulier, la possibilité de synthétiser des gaz de fermions piégés dans des réseaux optiques représente un développement de la plus haute importance pour la physique de la matière condensée. Ceci ouvre notamment sur la perspective d'étudier des phases quantiques exotiques stabilisées dans des systèmes d'électrons fortement corrélés.Récemment, les gaz atomiques d'alcalino-terreux ou d'ytterbium ont suscité un vif intérêt et ont été refroidis jusqu'à la dégénérescence quantique. La structure atomique particulière de ces systèmes leur confère de très hauts degrés de symétrie, grâce au découplage entre le spin nucléaire et le moment angulaire électronique. Une physique exotique conduisant à de multiple applications peut résulter de ces systèmes de hautes symétries qui ne peut être sondée que par les solides bases de la matière condensée.Dans cette thèse, on se propose d'étudier les propriétés physiques de basse énergie d'un gaz de fermions de type alcalino-terreux, piégé dans un réseau optique à une dimension. À une dimension, il est possible d'analyser les effets des interactions de manière non-perturbative par des approches de théorie des champs comme la bosonisation ou la théorie des champs conformes, et numériquement par le groupe de renormalisation de la matrice densité (DMRG). L'ensemble de ces outils sera notamment utilisé pour déterminer le diagramme de phase des gaz de fermions d'alcalino-terreux ou d'ytterbium à une dimension. / Experimental realization of Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) opened a new and rich field of investigation for the study of the cold atoms. In particular, the possibility of creating trapped fermionic gases in optical lattices represent one of the most important development for the condensed matter physics. This open the outlook of studying exotic and stabilized quantum phases in strongly correlated systems of electrons.Recently, alkline-earth or ytterbuim atomic gases have given rise to great interest and have been cooled down up to quantum degenaracy. The specific atomic structure of these systems confer them very high degrees of symetry, thanks to the decoupling beetwin the nuclear spin and the electronic angular momentum. An exotic physics which is only probe thanks to the strong fundament of the condensed matter.In this thesis, we propose to study the physical properties at low energy of a alkaline-earth-like fermionic gas, trapped in a one dimensional optical lattice. In one dimension, we are able to analyse effects of interactions in a non-pertubative way with conformal field theory or bosonization, and numerically with Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) approach. All of these tools will be used to provide the phase diagram of these alkaline-earth-like fermionic gases in one dimension.

The quantum Hall (QH) system---cold electrons in two dimensions in a perpendicular magnetic field---is a striking example of a system where unexpected phenomena emerge at low energies. The low-energy physics of this system is effectively one-dimensional due to the magnetic field. We identify an exactly solvable limit of this interacting many-body problem, and provide strong evidence that its solutions are adiabatically connected to the observed QH states in a similar manner as the free electron gas is related to real interacting fermions in a metal according to Landau's Fermi liquid theory. The solvable limit corresponds to the electron gas on a thin torus. Here the ground states are gapped periodic crystals and the fractionally charged excitations appear as domain walls between degenerate ground states. The fractal structure of the abelian Haldane-Halperin hierarchy is manifest for generic two-body interactions. By minimizing a local k+1-body interaction we obtain a representation of the non-abelian Read-Rezayi states, where the domain wall patterns encode the fusion rules of the underlying conformal field theory. We provide extensive analytical and numerical evidence that the Laughlin/Jain states are continuously connected to the exact solutions. For more general hierarchical states we exploit the intriguing connection to conformal field theory and construct wave functions that coincide with the exact ones in the solvable limit. If correct, this construction implies the adiabatic continuation of the pertinent states. We provide some numerical support for this scenario at the recently observed fraction 4/11. Non-QH phases are separated from the thin torus by a phase transition. At half-filling, this leads to a Luttinger liquid of neutral dipoles which provides an explicit microscopic example of how weakly interacting quasiparticles in a reduced (zero) magnetic field emerge at low energies. We argue that this is also smoothly connected to the bulk state.

Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we study the anisotropic transport properties of both supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric matter fields on (2+1)-dimensional defects coupled to a (3+1)-dimensional N=4 SYM "heat bath". We address on the one hand the purely conformal defect where the only non-vanishing background field that we turn on is a "topological", parameter parametrizing the impact on the bulk. On the other hand we also address the case of a finite external background magnetic field, finite net charge density and finite mass. We find in the purely conformal limit that the system possesses a conduction threshold given by the wave number of the perturbation and that the charge transport arises from a quasiparticle spectrum which is consistent with an intuitive picture where the defect acquires a finite width in the direction of the SYM bulk. We also examine finite-coupling modifications arising from higher derivative interactions in the probe brane action. In the case of finite density, mass and magnetic field, our results generalize the conformal case. We discover at high frequencies a spectrum of quasiparticle resonances due to the magnetic field and finite density and at small frequencies a Drude-like expansion around the DC limit. Both of these regimes display many generic features and some features that we attribute to strong coupling, such as a minimum DC conductivity and an unusual behavior of the "cyclotron" and plasmon frequencies, which become correlated to the resonances found in the conformal case. We further study the hydrodynamic regime and the relaxation properties, in which the system displays a set of different possible transitions to the collisionless regime. The mass dependence can be cast in two regimes: a generic relativistic behavior dominated by the UV and a non-linear hydrodynamic behavior dominated by the IR. In the massless case, we also extend earlier results to find an interesting duality under the transformation of the conductivity and the exchange of density and magnetic field. Furthermore, we look at the thermodynamics and the phase diagram, which reproduces general features found earlier in 3+1 dimensional systems and demonstrates stability in the relevant phase.

Using the AdS/CFT correspondence, we study the anisotropic transport properties of both supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric matter fields on (2+1)-dimensional defects coupled to a (3+1)-dimensional N=4 SYM "heat bath". We address on the one hand the purely conformal defect where the only non-vanishing background field that we turn on is a "topological", parameter parametrizing the impact on the bulk. On the other hand we also address the case of a finite external background magnetic field, finite net charge density and finite mass. We find in the purely conformal limit that the system possesses a conduction threshold given by the wave number of the perturbation and that the charge transport arises from a quasiparticle spectrum which is consistent with an intuitive picture where the defect acquires a finite width in the direction of the SYM bulk. We also examine finite-coupling modifications arising from higher derivative interactions in the probe brane action. In the case of finite density, mass and magnetic field, our results generalize the conformal case. We discover at high frequencies a spectrum of quasiparticle resonances due to the magnetic field and finite density and at small frequencies a Drude-like expansion around the DC limit. Both of these regimes display many generic features and some features that we attribute to strong coupling, such as a minimum DC conductivity and an unusual behavior of the "cyclotron" and plasmon frequencies, which become correlated to the resonances found in the conformal case. We further study the hydrodynamic regime and the relaxation properties, in which the system displays a set of different possible transitions to the collisionless regime. The mass dependence can be cast in two regimes: a generic relativistic behavior dominated by the UV and a non-linear hydrodynamic behavior dominated by the IR. In the massless case, we also extend earlier results to find an interesting duality under the transformation of the conductivity and the exchange of density and magnetic field. Furthermore, we look at the thermodynamics and the phase diagram, which reproduces general features found earlier in 3+1 dimensional systems and demonstrates stability in the relevant phase.

Conformal Field Theories (CFT) are Quantum Field Theories characterized by enhanced (conformal) symmetries. They are interesting to Theoretical Physicists because they occur at critical points in phase transitions of various systems and also in the world sheet formulation of String Theory. CFTs allow Operator Product Expansion (OPE) in their correlators. The idea of Conformal Bootstrap is to solely use the conformal symmetries and crossing symmetry in the OPE to solve a conformal led theory and not explicitly use a lagrangian. Solving a CFT is equivalent to obtaining the anomalous dimensions and OPE coe client’s of the operators. The work presented in this thesis shows how ideas of bootstrap can be used to get analytic results for dimensions and OPE coe client’s of various operators in CFTs. In the conventional bootstrap program, the OPE in the direct (s-) channel is compared with the OPE of a crossed (t-) channel. This requirement of crossing symmetry is called the bootstrap equation. The flow of logic is somewhat reversed in the \new" idea that is formulated in this thesis. The trick is to expand a CFT correlator in terms of Witten diagrams, in all channels. This is a manifestly crossing symmetric description, and is in contrast to the usual expansion in terms of conformal blocks, which is in only one channel. For convenience we work with the Mellin transforms of Witten diagrams. For consistency of the Witten diagrams expansion with the conformal block expansion in a certain channel, we require the satisfaction of some equations, which we call the bootstrap equations in Mellin space. This scheme was rest chalked out by Polyakov in 1973, where he proposed the use of \unitary amplitudes" to expand a correlator. The unitary amplitudes had similar symmetry and analytic properties as the Witten diagrams. Even though he did not take his idea forward, replacing unitary amplitudes with Witten diagrams seems to work very well for obtaining analytic results. The working of bootstrap equations in Mellin space is demonstrated for the 4 Wilson-Fisher fixed point in d = 4 , O(N) theory at Wilson-Fisher point (in d = 4 ), as well as with large N (in general d), and large spin operators in strongly coupled and weakly coupled theories. For the case of global symmetry we have also analysed the somewhat unexplored case of cubic anisotropy. The results are obtained as perturbative series in , 1=N, or 1=` as applicable, and they are consistent with known results in literature. We also obtain various new results, for instance the OPE coe client’s of general higher spin operators. These results are otherwise very di cult to end from Feynman diagrams, but in this approach they come out very simply, essentially by solving some algebraic equations. We also show the use of the conventional bootstrap strategy, for analytically obtaining anomalous dimensions of large spin operators having higher twists, in a O(N) theory, by working in the light cone limit. One can question the validity of the proposal of using Witten diagrams to expand a correlator. One such issue is convergence of the sum over Witten diagrams. Convergence can be shown to hold for the operator spectrum we have worked with. Also there are operators that might upset convergence under some conditions. Resolutions of such cases, and ways to improve convergence have also been discussed. The conventional bootstrap method has been very successful in giving numerical results in nonpertur-bative CFTs, like the 3 dimensional Ising model. Numerical analysis can also be made possible with the new bootstrap in Mellin space approach. Having a convergent basis of expansion improves the prospect of numeric. The goal is to formulate a bootstrap scheme that, under a single framework, can make most of all the CFT properties. It should be systematic, so that one can obtain anomalous dimensions and OPE coe client’s of all operators up to any desired order, and works for all strongly/weakly coupled and perturbative/nonpertur-bative CFTS, both analytically and numerically. Finally, the use of Witten diagrams also indicates the possibility of Ising CFT or weakly coupled CFTs having connections with AdS/CFT, and hence String Theory. It does seem we have a right direction towards achieving our goal.

La fonction de partition de théories de jauge supersymétriques avec quatre supercharges sur la sphere à deux dimensions est calculée exactement grâce à la localisation supersymétrique. Pour certaines théories de jauge, les expressions explicites sont égales à des corrélateurs dans la théorie conforme des champs de Toda de dimension deux. Ces égalités trouvent leur place ausein de la correspondance AGT, qui relie des théories de jauge supersymétriques de dimension quatre avec huit supercharges à des corrélateurs de la théorie de Toda. En effet, les théories de jauge à deux dimensions peuvent être insérées le long d’une surface dans une théorie à quatre dimensions, formant ainsi un opérateur de surface à moitié BPS. Une telle insertioncorrespond à l’ajout d’un opérateur local particulier (un opérateur de vertex dégénéré) dans le corrélateur de Toda.Cette correspondance enrichie a plusieurs conséquences. D’une part, les symétries des corrélateurs de Toda impliquent des analogues des dualités de Seiberg et de Kutasov–Schwimmer pour les théories de jauge à deux dimensions avec quatre supercharges. D’autre part, les résultats exacts en théorie de jauge fournissent de nouvelles données dans la théorie de Toda.Cela mène à une proposition concrète pour l’échange de deux opérateurs de vertex semi-dégénérés dans la théorie de Toda, qui contient des informations importantes concernant la S-dualité à quatre dimensions. / The sphere partition function of two-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories with four supercharges is computed exactly using supersymmetric localization. For some gauge theories, explicit expressions are found to match with correlators in the two-dimensional Toda conformal field theory. This fits into the AGT correspondence, which relates supersymmetric fourdimensionalgauge theories with eight supercharges to correlators in the Toda theory. More precisely, the two-dimensional gauge theories can be inserted along a surface in a four-dimensional theory, thus forming half-BPS surface operators: such an insertion corresponds to the addition of a particular local operator (a degenerate vertex operator) in the Toda correlator.This enriched correspondence has several consequences. On the one hand, symmetries of Toda correlators imply analogues of Seiberg and Kutasov–Schwimmer dualities for two-dimensional gauge theories with four supercharges. On the other hand, exact gauge theory results yield previously unknown data in the Toda theory. This leads to a concrete proposal for the Toda braiding kernel of two semi-degenerate vertex operators, which holds important information about four-dimensional S-duality.

We introduce the formalism of categorical symmetries, and examine how these appear in quantum field theories. We discuss rational conformal field theories and their Verlinde lines, with the critical Ising model as an example. We introduce Wess Zumino Witten models and affine Lie algebras. An algorithm for the fusion rules is presented. We use bosonization to realise two dimensional adjoint SU(N) QCD as a WZW coset model plus a kinetic term for the gauge field. We argue that the infrared theory has degenerate vacua acted upon by a non-negative integer valued matrix representation of a categorical symmetry. We compute generators for these matrices for gauge groups SU(3) and SU(4).