Topological and geometric universal thermodynamics in conformal field theory

Abstract

Universal thermal data in conformal field theory (CFT) offer a valuable means for characterizing and classifying criticality. With improved tensor network techniques, we investigate the universal thermodynamics on a nonorientable minimal surface, the crosscapped disk (or real projective plane, $\mathbb{RP}^2$). Through a cut-and-sew process, $\mathbb{RP}^2$ is topologically equivalent to a cylinder with rainbow and crosscap boundaries. We uncover that the crosscap contributes a fractional topological term $\frac{1}{2} \ln{k}$ related to nonorientable genus, with $k$ a universal constant in two-dimensional CFT, while the rainbow boundary gives rise to a geometric term $\frac{c}{4} \ln{\beta}$, with $\beta$ the manifold size and $c$ the central charge. We have also obtained analytically the logarithmic rainbow term by CFT calculations, and discuss its connection to the renowned Cardy-Peschel conical singularity.