Logarithmic conformal field theory: a lattice approach

Abstract

Logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFT) play a key role, for instance, in the description of critical geometrical problems (percolation, self-avoiding walks, etc), or of critical points in several classes of disordered systems (transition between plateaux in the integer and spin quantum Hall effects). Much progress in their understanding has been obtained by studying algebraic features of their lattice regularizations. For reasons which are not entirely understood, the non-semi-simple associative algebras underlying these lattice models—such as the Temperley–Lieb algebra or the blob algebra—indeed exhibit, in finite size, properties that are in full correspondence with those of their continuum limits. This applies not only to the structure of indecomposable modules, but also to fusion rules, and provides an ‘experimental’ way of measuring couplings, such as the ‘number b’ quantifying the logarithmic coupling of the stress–energy tensor with its partner. Most results obtained so far have concerned boundary LCFTs and the associated indecomposability in the chiral sector. While the bulk case is considerably more involved (mixing in general left and right moving sectors), progress has also recently been made in this direction, uncovering fascinating structures. This study provides a short general review of our work in this area.