Higgs-otic Inflation and Moduli Stabilization
  We study closed-string moduli stabilization in Higgs-otic inflation in Type
IIB orientifold backgrounds with fluxes. In this setup large-field inflation is
driven by the vacuum energy of mobile D7-branes. Imaginary selfdual (ISD)
three-form fluxes in the background source a $\mu$-term and the necessary
monodromy for large field excursions while imaginary anti-selfdual (IASD)
three-form fluxes are sourced by non-perturbative contributions to the
superpotential necessary for moduli stabilization. We analyze K\"ahler moduli
stabilization and backreaction on the inflaton potential in detail. Confirming
results in the recent literature, we find that integrating out heavy K\"ahler
moduli leads to a controlled flattening of the inflaton potential. We quantify
the flux tuning necessary for stability even during large-field inflation.
Moreover, we study the backreaction of supersymmetrically stabilized complex
structure moduli and the axio-dilaton in the K\"ahler metric of the inflaton.
Contrary to previous findings, this backreaction can be pushed far out in field
space if a similar flux tuning as in the K\"ahler sector is possible. This
allows for a trans-Planckian field range large enough to support inflation.
