Classical scale-separated AdS$_3$ vacua in heterotic string theory

Abstract: We provide the first scale-separated AdS solutions from compactifications of the heterotic string. Our solutions have parametrically weak coupling, large volume, and the internal KK scale is parametrically smaller than the AdS length. These AdS$_3$ vacua preserve $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetry and arise from compactifications on $G_2$ structure manifolds with $H$ flux and (smeared) gravitational instantons. All geometric moduli are stabilized, fluxes quantized, and the solutions are parametrically controlled in an appropriate large-flux limit.