Elsevier

Physics Letters B

Volume 361, Issues 1–4, 2 November 1995, Pages 59-65
Physics Letters B

Second-quantized mirror symmetry

https://doi.org/10.1016/0370-2693(95)01074-ZGet rights and content

Abstract

We propose and give strong evidence for a duality relating Type II theories on Calabi-Yau spaces and heterotic strings on K3 × T2, both of which have N = 2 spacetime supersymmetry. Entries in the dictionary relating the dual theories are derived from an analysis of the soliton string worldsheet in the context of N = 2 orbifolds of dual N = 4 compactifications of Type II and heterotic strings. In particular we construct a pairing between Type II string theory on a self-mirror Calabi-Yau space X with h11 = h21 = 11 and a (4, 0) background of heterotic string theory on K3 × T2. Under the duality transformation the usual first-quantized mirror symmetry of X becomes a second-quantized mirror symmetry which determines nonperturbative quantum effects. This enables us to show that the quantum moduli space for this example agrees with the classical one. Mirror symmetry of X implies that the low-energy N = 2 gauge theory is finite, even at enhanced symmetry points. This prediction is verified by direct computation on the heterotic side. Other branches of the moduli space, which are not finite N = 2 theories, are connected to this one via black hole condensation.

References (33)

  • A. Strominger

    Nucl. Phys. B

    (1990)
    A. Strominger

    Nucl. Phys. B

    (1991)
  • Essays on Mirror Manifolds

  • C.G. Callan et al.

    Nucl. Phys. B

    (1991)
  • S. Cecotti et al.

    Int. J. Mod. Phys. A

    (1989)
  • A. Strominger

    Phys. Rev. Lett.

    (1985)
  • P. Aspinwall et al.

    Phys. Lett. B

    (1994)
  • J. Distler et al.

    Nucl. Phys. B

    (1988)
  • A. Dabholkar et al.

    Phys. Rev. Lett.

    (1989)
  • C.M. Hull and P.K. Townsend, QMW-94-30,...
  • M.J. Duff, NI-94-033,...
  • P.K. Townsend,...
  • E. Witten
  • C. Vafa,...
  • N. Seiberg

    Nucl. Phys. B

    (1986)
    P. Aspinwall et al.
  • A. Sen
  • J.A. Harvey et al.
  • Cited by (241)

    • Holography, application, and string theory's changing nature

      2022, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
      Citation Excerpt :

      The term “dictionary” pops up often in the physics literature, referring to various mappings between observables, generally via a duality. Regarding string-string dualities, it can be traced at least as far back as 1995 (Ferrara, Harvey, Strominger, & Vafa, 1995), and appeared in a holographic context a few years later (Polchinski, 1076; Giddings, 1999). Each of these papers accredits the term (or the information contained within it) to a different set of previous papers [Gubser et al., 1998, Duff, 1995, Witten, 1995], whose authors never actually use the word themselves.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text