Entropy Of Quantum Field Research Articles

In-in formalism for the entropy of quantum fields in curved spacetimes

We show how to compute the purity and entanglement entropy for quantum fields in a systematic perturbative expansion. To that end, we generalize the in-in formalism to non-unitary dynamics (i.e. accounting for the presence of an environment) and to the calculation of quantum information measures, which are not observables in the usual sense. This allows us to reduce the problem to one involving standard correlation functions, and to organize their computation in a diagrammatic expansion for which we construct the corresponding Feynman rules. As an illustration, we apply the formalism to a cosmological setting inspired by the effective field theory of inflation. We find that at late times, non-linear loop corrections share the same time behavior as the linear contribution, and only yield a slight redressing of the purity. In particular, when the environment is heavy compared to the Hubble scale, the phenomenon of recoherence previously encountered is robust to the class of non-linear extensions considered. Bridging the gap between perturbative quantum field theory and open quantum systems paves the way to a better understanding of renormalization and resummation in open effective field theories. It also enables a more systematic exploration of quantum information properties in field theoretic settings.

Universal terms of the entanglement entropy in a static closed universe

Subdominant contributions to the entanglement entropy of quantum fields include logarithmic corrections to the area law characterized by universal coefficients that are independent of the ultraviolet regulator and capture detailed information on the geometry around the entangling surface. We determine two universal coefficients of the entanglement entropy for a massive scalar field in a static closed universe $\mathbb{R}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathbb{S}}^{3}$ perturbatively and verify the results numerically. The first coefficient describes a well-known generic correction to the area law independent of the geometry of the entangling surface and background. The second coefficient describes a curvature-dependent universal term with a nontrivial dependence on the intrinsic and extrinsic geometries of the entangling surface and curvature of the background. The numerical calculations confirm the analytical results to a high accuracy. The first and second universal coefficients are determined numerically with a relative error with respect to the analytical values of the orders ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, respectively.

Island finder and entropy bound

Identifying an entanglement island requires exquisite control over the entropy of quantum fields, which is available only in toy models. Here we present a set of sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence of an island and place an upper bound on the entropy computed by the island rule. This is enough to derive the main features of the Page curve for an evaporating black hole in any spacetime dimension. Our argument makes use of Wall's maximin formulation and the quantum focusing conjecture. As a corollary, we derive a novel entropy bound.

Towards spacetime entanglement entropy for interacting theories

Entanglement entropy of quantum fields in gravitational settings is a topic of growing importance. This entropy of entanglement is conventionally computed relative to Cauchy hypersurfaces where it is possible via a partial tracing to associate a reduced density matrix to the spacelike region of interest. In recent years Sorkin has proposed an alternative, manifestly covariant, formulation of entropy in terms of the spacetime two-point correlation function. This formulation, developed for a Gaussian scalar field theory, is explicitly spacetime in nature and evades some of the possible non-covariance issues faced by the conventional formulation. In this paper we take the first steps towards extending Sorkin’s entropy to non-Gaussian theories where Wick’s theorem no longer holds and one would expect higher correlators to contribute. We consider quartic perturbations away from the Gaussian case and find that to first order in perturbation theory, the entropy formula derived by Sorkin continues to hold but with the two-point correlators replaced by their perturbation-corrected counterparts. We then show that our results continue to hold for arbitrary perturbations (of both bosonic and fermionic theories). This is a non-trivial and, to our knowledge, novel result. Furthermore we also derive closed-form formulas of the entanglement entropy for arbitrary perturbations at first and second order. Our work also suggests avenues for further extensions to generic interacting theories.

Effective entropy of quantum fields coupled with gravity

Entanglement entropy, or von Neumann entropy, quantifies the amount of uncertainty of a quantum state. For quantum fields in curved space, entanglement entropy of the quantum field theory degrees of freedom is well-defined for a fixed background geometry. In this paper, we propose a generalization of the quantum field theory entanglement entropy by including dynamical gravity. The generalized quantity named effective entropy, and its Renyi entropy generalizations, are defined by analytic continuation of a replica calculation. The replicated theory is defined as a gravitational path integral with multiple copies of the original boundary conditions, with a co-dimension-2 brane at the boundary of region we are studying. We discuss different approaches to define the region in a gauge invariant way, and show that the effective entropy satisfies the quantum extremal surface formula. When the quantum fields carry a significant amount of entanglement, the quantum extremal surface can have a topology transition, after which an entanglement island region appears. Our result generalizes the Hubeny-Rangamani-Takayanagi formula of holographic entropy (with quantum corrections) to general geometries without asymptotic AdS boundary, and provides a more solid framework for addressing problems such as the Page curve of evaporating black holes in asymptotic flat spacetime. We apply the formula to two example systems, a closed two-dimensional universe and a four-dimensional maximally extended Schwarzchild black hole. We discuss the analog of the effective entropy in random tensor network models, which provides more concrete understanding of quantum information properties in general dynamical geometries. We show that, in absence of a large boundary like in AdS space case, it is essential to introduce ancilla that couples to the original system, in order for correctly characterizing quantum states and correlation functions in the random tensor network. Using the superdensity operator formalism, we study the system with ancilla and show how quantum information in the entanglement island can be reconstructed in a state-dependent and observer-dependent map. We study the closed universe (without spatial boundary) case and discuss how it is related to open universe.

On the entanglement entropy of quantum fields in causal sets

In order to understand the detailed mechanism by which a fundamental discreteness can provide a finite entanglement entropy, we consider the entanglement entropy of two classes of free massless scalar fields on causal sets that are well approximated by causal diamonds in Minkowski spacetime of dimensions 2, 3 and 4. The first class is defined from discretised versions of the continuum retarded Green functions, while the second uses the causal set’s retarded nonlocal d’Alembertians parametrised by a length scale lk. In both cases we provide numerical evidence that the area law is recovered when the double-cutoff prescription proposed in Sorkin and Yazdi (2016 Entanglement entropy in causal set theory (arXiv:1611.10281)) is imposed. We discuss in detail the need for this double cutoff by studying the effect of two cutoffs on the quantum field and, in particular, on the entanglement entropy, in isolation. In so doing, we get a novel interpretation for why these two cutoff are necessary, and the different roles they play in making the entanglement entropy on causal sets finite.

Entropy of massive quantum fields in de Sitter space–time

Using the quantum states or Hilbert spaces for the quantum field theory in de Sitter ambient space formalism the entropy of the massive quantum field theory is calculated. In this formalism, the homogeneous spaces which are used for construction of the unitary irreducible representation of de Sitter group are compact. The unique feature of this homogeneous space is that by imposing certain physical conditions its total number of quantum one-particle states, N1−p, becomes finite although the Hilbert space has infinite dimensions. N1−p is de Sitter invariant and a continuous function of the Hubble constant H and the eigenvalue of the Casimir operators of de Sitter group. The entropy of the quantum fields is finite and invariant for all inertial observers on de Sitter hyperboloid.

Renormalization of entanglement entropy and the gravitational effective action

The entanglement entropy of quantum fields across a spatial boundary is UV divergent, its leading contribution proportional to the area of this boundary. We demonstrate that the Callan-Wilczek formula provides a renormalized geometrical definition of this entanglement entropy for a class of quantum states defined by a path integral over quantum fields propagating on a curved background spacetime. In particular, UV divergences localized on the spatial boundary do not contribute to the entanglement entropy, the leading contribution to the renormalized entanglement entropy is given by the Bekenstein-Hawking formula, and subleading UV-sensitive contributions are given in terms of renormalized couplings of the gravitational effective action. These results hold even if the UV-divergent contribution to the entanglement entropy is negative, for example, in theories with non-minimal scalar couplings to gravity. We show that subleading UV-sensitive contributions to the renormalized entanglement entropy depend nontrivially on the quantum state. We compute new subleading UV-sensitive contributions to the renormalized entanglement entropy, finding agreement with the Wald entropy formula in all cases. We speculate that the entanglement entropy of an arbitrary spatial boundary may be a well-defined observable in quantum gravity.

Entanglement Entropy of Reissner—Nordström Black Hole and Quantum Isolated Horizon

Based on the work of Ghosh and Pereze, who view the black hole entropy as the logarithm of the number of quantum states on the Quantum Isolated Horizon (QIH)§ the entropy of Reissner—Nordström black hole is studied. According to the Unruh temperature, the statistical entropy of quantum fields under the background of Reissner—Nordström spacetime is calculated by means of quantum statistics. In the calculations we take the integral from the position of QIH to infinity, so the obtained entropy is the entanglement entropy outside the QIH. In Reissner—Nordström spacetime it is shown that if only the position of QIH is properly chosen the leading term of logarithm of the number of quantum states on the QIH is equal to the leading term of the entanglement entropy outside the black hole horizon, and both are the Bekenstein—Hawking entropy. The results reveal the relation between the entanglement entropy of black hole and the logarithm of the number of quantum states.

ENTANGLEMENT ENTROPY OF d-DIMENSIONAL BLACK HOLE AND QUANTUM ISOLATED HORIZON

Based on the works of Ghosh et al. who view the black hole entropy as the logarithm of the number of quantum states on the Quantum Isolated Horizon (QIH), the entropy of d-dimensional black hole is studied. According to the Unruh–Verlinde temperature deduced from the concept of entropic force, the statistical entropy of quantum fields under the background of d-dimensional spacetime is calculated by means of quantum statistics. The results reveal the relation between the entanglement entropy of black hole and the logarithm of the number of quantum states and display the effects of dimensions on the correction terms of the entanglement entropy.

Entanglement entropy in all dimensions

It has long been conjectured that the entropy of quantum fields across boundaries scales as the boundary area. This conjecture has not been easy to test in spacetime dimensions greater than four because of divergences in the von Neumann entropy. Here we show that the Renyi entropy provides a convergent alternative, yielding a quantitative measure of entanglement between quantum field theoretic degrees of freedom inside and outside hypersurfaces. For the first time, we show that the entanglement entropy in higher dimensions is proportional to the higher dimensional area. We also show that the Renyi entropy diverges at specific values of the Renyi parameter (q) in each dimension, but this divergence can be tamed by introducing a mass of the quantum field.

Quantum statistical entropy of Schwarzchild-de Sitter spacetime

Using the quantum statistical method, we calculate quantum statistical entropy between the black hole horizon and the cosmological horizon in Schwarzchild spacetime and derive the expression of quantum statistical entropy in de Sitter spacetime. Under the Unruh-Verlinde temperature of Schwarzchild-de Sitter spacetime in the entropic force views, we obtain the expression of quantum statistical entropy in de Sitter spacetime. It is shown that in de Sitter spacetime quantum statistical entropy is the sum of thermodynamic entropy corresponding black hole horizon and the one corresponding cosmological horizon. And the correction term of de Sitter spacetime entropy is obtained. Therefore, it is confirmed that the black hole entropy is the entropy of quantum field outside the black hole horizon. The entropy of de Sitter spacetime is the entropy of quantum field between the black hole horizon and the cosmological horizon.

Entropy of quantum field in toroidal black hole without brick wall

In this paper the entropy of a toroidal black hole due to a scalar field is investigated by using the DLM scheme. The entropy is renormalized to the standard Bekenstein-Hawking formula with a one-loop correction arising from the higher curvature terms of the gravitational action. For the scalar field, the renormalized Newton constant and two renormalized coupling constants in the toroidal black hole are the same as those in the Reissner-Nordstrom black hole except for other one.

Entropy of quantum fields for nonextreme black holes in the extreme limit

A nonextreme black hole in a cavity within the framework of the canonical or grand canonical ensemble can approach the extreme limit with a finite temperature measured on a boundary located at a finite proper distance from the horizon. In spite of this finite temperature, it is shown that the one-loop contribution ${S}_{q}$ of quantum fields to the thermodynamic entropy due to equilibrium Hawking radiation vanishes in the limit under consideration. The same is true for the finite temperature version of the Bertotti-Robinson spacetime into which a classical Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole turns in the extreme limit. The result ${S}_{q}=0$ is attributed to the nature of a horizon for the Bertotti-Robinson spacetime.