Universal flops of length 1 and 2 from D2-branes at surface singularities

Abstract: We study families of deformed ADE surfaces by probing them with a D2-brane in Type IIA string theory. The geometry of the total space $X$ of such a family can be encoded in a scalar field $\Phi$, which lives in the corresponding ADE algebra and depends on the deformation parameters. The superpotential of the probe three dimensional (3d) theory incorporates a term that depends on the field $\Phi$. By varying the parameters on which $\Phi$ depends, one generates a family of 3d theories whose moduli space always includes a geometric branch, isomorphic to the deformed surface. By fibering this geometric branch over the parameter space, the total space $X$ of the family of ADE surfaces is reconstructed. We explore various cases, including when $X$ is the universal flop of length $\ell=1,2$. The effective theory, obtained after the introduction of $\Phi$, provides valuable insights into the geometric features of $X$, such as the loci in parameter space where the fiber becomes singular and, more notably, the conditions under which this induces a singularity in the total space. By analyzing the monopole operators in the 3d theory, we determine the charges of certain M2-brane states arising in M-theory compactifications on $X$.