About

Michael Gutperle is a Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research is focused on theoretical particle physics, quantum gravity, and string theory. Before joining UCLA in 2003, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the theoretical particle physics groups at Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton. He obtained his Ph.D. at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics in Cambridge, UK, where his advisor was M.B. Green. While in Cambridge, he was a member of Churchill College.

Research topics

• Mathematics
• Geometry
• Computer Science
• Physics
• Algorithm
• Pure mathematics
• Optics
• Chemistry
• Theoretical physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Crystallography

Selected publications

• Generalized symmetries and deformations of symmetric product orbifolds

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  A bstract We construct generalized symmetries in two-dimensional symmetric product orbifold CFTs Sym N ( $$ \mathcal{T} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>T</mml:mi> </mml:math> ), for a generic seed CFT $$ \mathcal{T} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>T</mml:mi> </mml:math> . These symmetries are more general than the universal and maximally symmetric ones previously constructed. We show that, up to one fine-tuned example when the number of copies N equals four, the only symmetries that can be preserved under twisted sector marginal deformations are invertible and maximally symmetric. The results are obtained in two ways. First, using the mathematical machinery of G -equivariantization of fusion categories, and second, via the projector construction of topological defect lines. As an application, we classify all preserved symmetries in symmetric product orbifold CFTs with the seed CFT given by any A -series $$ \mathcal{N}=\left(2,2\right) $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mfenced> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mfenced> </mml:math> minimal model. We comment on the implications of our results for holography.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exact solutions to complex Type IIB supergravity for complex superalgebra $F(4)$ and its real forms

  ArXiv.org · 2025-08-20

  preprintOpen access

  We construct the general local solutions to complexified Type IIB supergravity which are invariant under the complexified Lie superalgebra $F(4)$. The geometry is a product of complexified maximally symmetric spaces $\mathcal M_{6 {\mathbb C}}$ and $\mathcal M_{2 {\mathbb C}}$ warped over a complexified surface $Σ_{\mathbb C}$. We classify the reality conditions that may be imposed consistently to obtain real form solutions within real forms of complex Type IIB supergravity. The latter comprise standard Type IIB, Type IIB$^\star$ and IIB$^\prime$, as well as theories with $3$, $5$, $7$ and $9$ time-like directions. Our classification of real solutions is consistent with and exhausts the real forms of $F(4)$, whose classification we confirm by elementary methods. The geometry of each real form solution is a product of real maximally symmetric spaces $\mathcal M_6$ and $\mathcal M_2$ warped over a Riemann surface $Σ$, with various signatures. The real solutions include, among others, known $AdS_6 \times S^2 \times Σ$ and $AdS_2 \times S^6 \times Σ$ solutions to standard Type IIB as well as new solutions of the form $dS_{1,5}\times S^2 \times Σ$ in Type IIB$^\star$. There are no real forms of the complex solutions with $\mathfrak{so} (7;{\mathbb R}) \oplus \mathfrak{so} (3;{\mathbb R})$ symmetry. We discuss the relevance of the complex solutions, and of analytic continuations from $dS_{1,5}\times S^2\timesΣ$ to $S^6\times S^2\timesΣ$ within complex Type IIB, in connection with holography for the polarized IKKT model.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Janus and RG-interfaces in minimal 3d gauged supergravity

  International Journal of Modern Physics A · 2025-06-27 · 8 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  In this paper, we find solutions of minimal [Formula: see text] gauged supergravity corresponding to Janus and RG-flow interfaces. We use holography to calculate symmetric and interface entanglement entropy as well as reflection coefficients and confirm that a recently proposed 1 inequality involving these quantities is satisfied for the solutions found here.

  PublisherDOI

• A note on entanglement entropy and topological defects in symmetric orbifold CFTs

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024-06-16

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  In this brief note we calculate the entanglement entropy in $M^{\otimes N}/S_N$ symmetric orbifold CFTs in the presence of topological defects, which were recently constructed in \cite{Gutperle:2024vyp,Knighton:2024noc}. We consider both universal defects which realize $Rep(S_N)$ non-invertible symmetry and non-universal defects. We calculate the sub-leading defect entropy/g-factor for defects at the boundary entangling surface as well as inside it.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A note on entanglement entropy and topological defects in symmetric orbifold CFTs

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2024-09-03 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  A bstract In this brief note we calculate the entanglement entropy in M ⊗ N / S N symmetric orbifold CFTs in the presence of topological defects, which were recently constructed in [1, 2]. We consider both universal defects which realize Rep ( S N ) non-invertible symmetry and non-universal defects. We calculate the sub-leading defect entropy/g-factor for defects at the boundary of the entangling surface as well as inside it.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Non-invertible symmetries in SN orbifold CFTs and holography

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2024-09-18 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  A bstract We study non-invertible defects in two-dimensional S N orbifold CFTs. We construct universal defects which do not depend on the details of the seed CFT and hence exist in any orbifold CFT. Additionally, we investigate non-universal defects arising from the topological defects of the seed CFT. We argue that there exist universal defects that are non-trivial in the large- N limit, making them relevant for the AdS 3 /CFT 2 correspondence. We then focus on AdS 3 ×S 3 × $$ {\mathcal{M}}_4 $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> with one unit of NS-NS flux and propose an explicit realization of these defects on the worldsheet.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Non-invertible symmetries in $S_N$ orbifold CFTs and holography

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024-05-24

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  We study non-invertible defects in two-dimensional $S_N$ orbifold CFTs. We construct universal defects which do not depend on the details of the seed CFT and hence exist in any orbifold CFT. Additionally, we investigate non-universal defects arising from the topological defects of the seed CFT. We argue that there exist universal defects that are non-trivial in the large-$N$ limit, making them relevant for the AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$ correspondence. We then focus on AdS$_3\times$S$^3\times \mathcal M_4$ with one unit of NS-NS flux and propose an explicit realization of these defects on the worldsheet.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Janus and RG-interfaces in minimal 3d gauged supergravity

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024-12-21

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  In this paper we find solutions of minimal $d=3,N=2$ gauged supergravity corresponding to Janus and RG-flow interfaces. We use holography to calculate symmetric and interface entanglement entropy as well as reflection coefficients and confirm that a recently proposed [1] inequality involving these quantities is satisfied for the solutions found here.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Holographic 6d co-dimension 2 defect solutions in M-theory

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2023-04-25 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  We consider the uplift of co-dimension two defect solutions of seven dimensional gauged supergravity to eleven dimensions, previously found by two of the authors. The uplifted solutions are expressed as Lin-Lunin-Maldacena solutions and an infinite family of regular solutions describing holographic defects is found using the electrostatic formulation of LLM solutions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Holographic 6d co-dimension 2 defect solutions in M-theory

  Journal of High Energy Physics · 2023-11-27 · 15 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  A bstract We consider the uplift of co-dimension two defect solutions of seven dimensional gauged supergravity to eleven dimensions, previously found by two of the authors. The uplifted solutions are expressed as Lin-Lunin-Maldacena solutions and an infinite family of regular solutions describing holographic defects is found using the electrostatic formulation of LLM solutions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Eric D’Hoker

  21 shared

• John Estes

  SUNY Old Westbury

  16 shared

• Christoph F. Uhlemann

  13 shared

• Michael Green

  11 shared

• Marco Chiodaroli

  Uppsala University

  10 shared

• Darya Krym

  New York City College of Technology

  9 shared

• Kevin Chen

  8 shared

• John D. Miller

  Georgetown University

  7 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Theoretical Particle Physics, Quantum Gravity, String Theory

  University of California, Los Angeles

• Other

  Theoretical Particle Physics Groups