# S-folds and 4d $$\mathcal{N}$$ = 3 superconformal field theories

Journal of High Energy Physics, Jun 2016

S-folds are generalizations of orientifolds in type IIB string theory, such that the geometric identifications are accompanied by non-trivial S-duality transformations. They were recently used by García-Etxebarria and Regalado to provide the first construction of four dimensional $$\mathcal{N}$$ =3 superconformal theories. In this note, we classify the different variants of these $$\mathcal{N}$$ =3-preserving S-folds, distinguished by an analog of discrete torsion, using both a direct analysis of the different torsion classes and the compactification of the S-folds to three dimensional M-theory backgrounds. Upon adding D3-branes, these variants lead to different classes of $$\mathcal{N}$$ =3 superconformal field theories. We also analyze the holographic duals of these theories, and in particular clarify the role of discrete gauge and global symmetries in holography.

This is a preview of a remote PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2FJHEP06%282016%29044.pdf

Ofer Aharony, Yuji Tachikawa. S-folds and 4d $$\mathcal{N}$$ = 3 superconformal field theories, Journal of High Energy Physics, 2016, 44, DOI: 10.1007/JHEP06(2016)044