1/4 BPS States and Non-Perturbative Couplings in N=4 String Theories

We compute certain 2K+4-point one-loop couplings in the type IIA string compactified on K3 x T^2, which are related a topological index on this manifold. Their special feature is that they are sensitive to only short and intermediate BPS multiplets. The couplings derive from underlying prepotentials of the form G(T,U)=d^{2K}V ln[chi10(T,U,V)], where chi10(T,U,V) is the helicity partition function of 1/4 BPS states. In the dual heterotic string on T^6, the amplitudes describe non-perturbative gravitational corrections due to bound states of fivebrane instantons with heterotic world-sheet instantons. We argue, as a consequence, that our results give information about instanton configurations in six dimensional Sp(2k) gauge theories on T^6.