Towards the string dual of N=1 supersymmetric QCD-like theories

We construct supergravity plus branes solutions, which we argue to be related to 4d N=1 SQCD with a quartic superpotential. The geometries depend on the ratio N-f/N-c which can be kept of order one, present a good singularity at the origin, and are weakly curved elsewhere. We support our field theory interpretation by studying a variety of features like R-symmetry breaking, instantons, Seiberg duality, Wilson loops and pair creation, running of couplings, and domain walls. In a second part of this paper, we address a different problem: the analysis of the interesting physics of different members of a family of supergravity solutions dual to (unflavored) N=1 SYM plus some UV completion.