Universal observables, SUSY RG-flows and holography

Abstract

We construct and analyse infinite classes of regular supergravity backgrounds dual to four-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs) compactified on a circle with a supersymmetry-preserving twist. These flows lead to three-dimensional gapped QFTs preserving four supercharges. The solutions arise in Type IIB, Type IIA, and eleven-dimensional supergravity, and generalise known constructions by incorporating deformations that avoid typical singularities associated with the holographic description of the Coulomb branch of the CFT. We examine several observables: Wilson loops, holographic central charges, and complexity. We show they exhibit a universal factorisation, with each observable decomposing into a UV-CFT contribution times a flow-dependent factor. We also explore the parameter regimes where higher-curvature corrections become relevant, affecting the physical interpretation of certain observables. Our findings provide new insights into universal features of holographic RG flows and resolve a puzzle related to complexity in these systems.