Entanglement of free fermions on Hamming graphs

Abstract

Free fermions on Hamming graphs H(d,q) are considered and the entanglement entropy for two types of subsystems is computed. For subsets of vertices that form Hamming subgraphs, an analytical expression is obtained. For subsets corresponding to a neighborhood, i.e. to a set of sites at a fixed distance from a reference vertex, a decomposition in irreducible submodules of the Terwilliger algebra of H(d,q) also yields a closed formula for the entanglement entropy. Finally, for subsystems made out of multiple neighborhoods, it is shown how to construct a block-tridiagonal operator which commutes with the entanglement Hamiltonian. It is identified as a BC-Gaudin magnet Hamiltonian in a magnetic field and is diagonalized by the modified algebraic Bethe ansatz.