Talks

• Ilija Burić: Asymptotic CFT data from thermal correlators 

Abstract: Consistency on manifolds other than flat space is known to constrain CFT data, as exemplified by Cardy’s celebrated formula for the asymptotic density of states. We will discuss some recent developments coming from the study of CFT correlation functions on higher-dimensional thermal manifolds, with the focus on S^1 x S^2. Our results include the asymptotic form of heavy-heavy-light OPE coefficients in generic three-dimensional CFTs, as well as asymptotic formulas for spectral densities, anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients in perturbative QFTs in AdS. We will show in examples how low-lying CFT data is captured well by these asymptotic expansions. The talk is based on joint work with Francesco Mangialardi, Francesco Russo, Volker Schomerus and Alessandro Vichi,  2506.21671 + in progress.

• Alejandra Castro: Revisiting near-extremal and near-BPS black holes in AdS_3 supergravity 

Abstract: Despite the archetypal status of the BTZ background in quantifying quantum aspects of black holes, several aspects at low temperatures remain incomplete. In this talk, I will discuss the behaviour of the Euclidean path integral at low temperatures in the context of AdS_3 supergravity, encompassing an analysis of quantum fluctuations in the near-horizon and far region. I'll clarify and rectify aspects of the bosonic fluctuations, highlighting the role of boundary conditions in AdS_3. I'll also account in detail for the contributions of Chern-Simons fields and spin-3/2 modes at low temperature. And finally, I’ll discuss how these results also impact our understanding of Kerr/CFT. Based on arXiv:2604.24834. 

• Johanna Erdmenger: Nonlocality induces isometry and factorisation in holography 

Abstract: In AdS/CFT holography, two manifestations of the black hole information paradox are given by the nonisometric nature of the bulk-boundary map and by the factorisation puzzle. By considering time-shifted microstates of the eternal black hole, we demonstrate that both puzzles may be simultaneously resolved by taking into account nonlocal quantum corrections that correspond to wormholes arising from state averaging. This is achieved by showing, using a resolvent technique, that the resulting Hilbert space for an eternal black hole is finite-dimensional with a discrete energy spectrum. Moreover, in a complementary approach we use a quantum dynamical Krylov complexity approach to calculate the Hilbert space dimension of a black hole in 2+1-dimensional Anti-de Sitter space. We achieve this by obtaining the spread of an initial thermofield double state over the Krylov basis. The saturation value of Krylov complexity confirms the result for the black hole Hilbert space dimension. Talk based on  arXiv: 2411.09616 and 2602.02645.

• Simone Giombi: Thermal correlators on line defects and bouncing singularities  

Abstract: I will discuss the calculation of the thermal retarded two-point function of the displacement operator on a Wilson line in N=4 SYM theory at strong coupling. This is computed holographically by solving the wave equation for the transverse fluctuations of the dual string worldsheet in the planar AdS black hole background. Similarly to the case of thermal correlators of local operators dual to bulk scalar fields, these line defect correlators are found to exhibit "bouncing singularities" in complex time, which correspond to exponentially suppressed contributions in the high-frequency limit. 

• Cristoforo Iossa: TBA

Abstract: TBA

• Romuald Janik: Some thermal correlation functions and challenges for quantum gravity and black holes 

Abstract: In this talk, I would like to discuss several examples of thermal retarded correlation functions which exhibit phenomena which are very surprising from the perspective of our conventional expectations about the behaviour of black holes. As in all these cases there are arguments for the existence of a holographic description (understood here in its most general sense on a fully quantum level), this poses fascinating questions about our understanding of (quantum) gravity with matter. I will discuss in detail the bulk gravity explanation in the case of the Ising model, while some of the other cases still remain mysterious. 

• Srijan Kumar: Thermalisation of one-point function in AdS-Vaidya geometry and QNMs

Abstract: We compute thermal one point function of a CFT primary at the boundary of AdS_5-Vaidya geometry. The geometry describes a shock wave collapsing into pure AdS_5 leading to the formation of a planar Schwarzschild black hole. Thermal one point functions are sourced by a Weyl tensor squared term coupled to a massive scalar in the bulk. We solve the bulk-boundary propagator in the momentum space at a large mass of the scalar field using a WKB method, allowing the computation of the thermal one point functions using AdS/CFT prescription. At a late time, after the shock wave has passed, the thermal one-point function approaches its value in the planar black hole geometry. The time-dependent fluctuations organize into a sum of exponentially decaying terms. The corresponding decay scales are precisely given by the quasi-normal mode frequencies of the planar black hole evaluated at large mass of the scalar. 

• Alessio Miscioscia: Regge’s inferno 

Abstract: In this talk, I will present a framework for studying large-spin operators in conformal field theories by placing the theory on appropriate pp-wave backgrounds. The thermodynamics of CFTs on these spacetimes gives rise to Cardy-like formulae, which determine the asymptotic spectrum in the large-spin limit. I will also discuss possible phase transitions of the thermal partition function on the pp-wave, with examples from the large-N O(N) model and SU(N) gauge theories. I will conclude by showing how finite-temperature one-point functions on the pp-wave provide access to the asymptotic behavior of CFT three-point functions, and by presenting general results and asymptotic formulae. 

• Sridip Pal: (Semi)-universality of CFT at LARGE spin  

Abstract: In unitary 2 dimensional CFT with c>1 and twist gap in Virasoro primaries, modular bootstrap of torus partition function in the light cone limit using rigorous complex analytic method reveals existence of twist accumulation points, and universality of operator spectrum at large spin J: the (appropriately smoothened) density of states is completely universal: theory independent upto J^{-N} for any N>0 (based on arXiv: 2505.02897 with Balt C van Rees and Jiaxin Qiao). In this talk, we will quickly review the 2D result and explore this limit in higher dimensional CFT and provide EFT based arguments, along with strong evidence, for what we call “Semi-universality” of spectrum at large spin: the density states at large spin is determined up to a theory-dependent function of universal ratio of twist and spin (based on arXiv: 2512.00158 with Harsh Anand, Nathan Benjamin, Vipul Kumar, Shiraz Minwalla, Jyotirmoy Mukherjee, Asikur Rahaman).  Finally, I will show 1) how the simple properties of free energy on the complex angular fugacity plane lead to stronger than unitarity bound and 2) asymptotics of thermal one point function of operators carrying large spin and twist and possible generalization to three point coefficient of highly spinning operators (based on some ongoing work). 

• Andrei Parnachev: Black holes and singularities of thermal correlators

Abstract: I will discuss thermal holographic correlators from the OPE point of view, emphasizing the role of singularities in the stress-sector and the KMS condition.

• Balt van Rees: Analytic properties of CFT correlators and the flat-space limit of QFT in AdS

• Junchen Rong: A new conformal interface between the 2D Ising CFT and the tricritical Ising CFT 

Abstract: I will discuss the phase transition on the interface between the 2D Ising CFT and the tricritical Ising CFT, extending Cardy’s classic result on the boundary phase transition of 2D CFTs. I will show that there exists a critical point separating the ordered phase and disordered phase, which can be described by a novel conformal interface between 2D Ising CFT and tricritical Ising CFT. By studying the annulus partition function (thermal CFT on a line interval), it allows us to bootstrap the boundary state up to a few signs. The work is inspired by recent advances in the experimental realization of the 2D Ising and tricritical Ising models using Rydberg atom arrays. I will introduce a potential experimental realization of the above setup if time permits. 

• Koenraad Schalm: TBA

Abstract: TBA

• Alexander Zhiboedov: TBA

Abstract: TBA