Holography on the lattice: Evidence from 3D supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory

Abstract

We present new results from our lattice investigations of maximally supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory in three dimensions, focusing on its nonperturbative phase diagram. Using a lattice formulation that preserves part of the supersymmetry algebra at finite lattice spacing, we study the spatial deconfinement transition, which holography relates to the transition between localized and homogeneous black branes in the dual gravity theory. Our analysis employs $N_L^2 \times N_T$ lattices with $N = 8$ colors in the SU($N$) gauge group, considering $N_T = 8$, $10$ and $12$, in each case with aspect ratios $\alpha = N_L/N_T \leq 3$. The resulting transition temperatures are consistent with the holographic low-temperature, large-$N$ prediction $T_c \propto \alpha^3$, providing further evidence for the gauge--gravity correspondence in this setting.