Quantum periods of Calabi-Yau fourfolds (1604.05325v3)

Abstract: In this work we study the quantum periods together with their Picard-Fuchs differential equations of Calabi-Yau fourfolds. In contrast to Calabi-Yau threefolds, we argue that the large volume points of Calabi-Yau fourfolds generically are regular singular points of the Picard-Fuchs operators of non-maximally unipotent monodromy. We demonstrate this property in explicit examples of Calabi-Yau fourfolds with a single Kahler modulus. For these examples we construct integral quantum periods and study their global properties in the quantum Kahler moduli space with the help of numerical analytic continuation techniques. Furthermore, we determine their genus zero Gromov-Witten invariants, their Klemm-Pandharipande meeting invariants, and their genus one BPS invariants. In our computations we emphasize the features attributed to the non-maximally unipotent monodromy property. For instance, it implies the existence of integral quantum periods that at large volume are purely worldsheet instanton generated. To verify our results, we also present intersection theory techniques to enumerate lines with a marked point on complete intersection Calabi-Yau fourfolds in Grassmannian varieties.