Mixed-state form factors of U(1) twist fields in the Dirac theory

Abstract

Using the ‘Liouville space’ (the space of operators) of the massive Dirac theory, we define mixed-state form factors of U(1) twist fields. We consider mixed states with density matrices diagonal in the asymptotic particle basis. This includes the thermal Gibbs state as well as all generalized Gibbs ensembles of the Dirac theory. When the mixed state is specialized to a thermal Gibbs state, using a Riemann–Hilbert problem and low-temperature expansion, we obtain finite-temperature form factors of U(1) twist fields. We then propose the expression for form factors of U(1) twist fields in general diagonal mixed states. We verify that these form factors satisfy a system of nonlinear functional differential equations, which is derived from the trace definition of mixed-state form factors. At last, under weak analytic conditions on the eigenvalues of the density matrix, we write down the large distance form factor expansions of two-point correlation functions of these twist fields. Using the relation between the Dirac and Ising models, this provides the large-distance expansion of the Rényi entropy (for integer Rényi parameter) in the Ising model in diagonal mixed states.