Anisotropic compact objects with holographic background in nonlinear f(Q) gravity

In this paper, we report a study on the structure of realistic compact stars within the framework of symmetric teleparallel gravity by considering nonlinear functional forms of [Formula: see text], where Q is the nonmetricity scalar. Incorporating a holographic background with Hubble horizon as the IR cutoff, adopted as a particular case of the highly generalized Nojiri–Odintsov cutoff, 41 we demonstrate the behavior of anisotropic stellar configurations and analyze their physical viability through various energy conditions and stability criteria. The mass–radius relation, redshift, and other observable quantities are computed and are found to remain within observational bounds. With the help of TOV equation, force equilibrium condition has also been established. The results obtained in this paper lead us to conclude that both the nonlinear forms, i.e. polynomial and logarithmic models of [Formula: see text] gravity, could describe compact stars. This offers a broader theoretical foundation for understanding realistic ultra-dense astrophysical objects. The study reported in this paper highlights the potential of extended symmetric teleparallel gravity in modeling anisotropic compact stars within the context of a holographic dark energy framework.