Giant Gravitons in AdS$_5\times$SE$_5$ and the Superconformal Index of Toric Quiver Gauge Theories

Abstract

We derive giant-graviton contributions to superconformal indices by quantizing probe D3-branes in type IIB backgrounds $\mathrm{AdS}_{5}\times SE_{5}$. For $SE_{5}=T^{1,1}$ and $Y^{p,q}$, we determine the scalar, vector, and fermionic fluctuations of maximal giant gravitons and extract their BPS spectra. The resulting single-letter indices agree with those predicted by the giant-graviton expansions of the dual toric quiver gauge theories. These results show that the single-giant terms in finite-$N$ supersymmetric counting functions can be recovered directly from quantized D3-brane degrees of freedom and point toward a universal worldvolume origin of giant-graviton expansions directly on the supergravity side. We view the results as a step in an intrinsically gravitational framework, much like the open-closed-open triality, for addressing supersymmetric microstate-counting problems that are conventionally outsourced to the dual field theory.