Heavy tetraquark $QQbar{q}bar{q}$ as a hadronic Efimov state

We propose to describe the heavy and exotic tetraquark state as a holographic molecule by binding the lightest heavy-light meson $(0^-, 1^-)$ multiplet to a flavored sphaleron in the bulk of the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model. The strongly bound tetraquark state emerges as an Efimov state with a binding energy that is comparable to that reported in recent lattice simulations and standard quark model estimates for bottom. Our construction finds charm and mixed charm-bottom tetraquark states to be also bound. The unique feature of these states stems from the fact that they are perhaps the first manifestation of the Efimov bound state mechanism in the hadronic world.