Free Fermion Theory Research Articles

Dimer piling problems and interacting field theory

The dimer tiling problem asks in how many ways can the edges of a graph be covered by dimers so that each site is covered once. In the special case of a planar graph, this problem has a solution in terms of a free fermionic field theory. We rediscover and explore an expression for the number of coverings of an arbitrary graph by arbitrary objects in terms of an interacting fermionic field theory first proposed by Samuel. Generalizations of the dimer tiling problem, which we call “dimer piling problems,” demand that each site be covered N times by indistinguishable dimers. Our field theory provides a solution of these problems in the large-N limit. We give a similar path integral representation for certain lattice coloring problems. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Entanglement Renormalization for Quantum Field Theories with Discrete Wavelet Transforms

We propose an adaptation of Entanglement Renormalization for quantum field theories that, through the use of discrete wavelet transforms, strongly parallels the tensor network architecture of the Multiscale Entanglement Renormalization Ansatz (a.k.a. MERA). Our approach, called wMERA, has several advantages of over previous attempts to adapt MERA to continuum systems. In particular, (i) wMERA is formulated directly in position space, hence preserving the quasi-locality and sparsity of entanglers; and (ii) it enables a built-in RG flow in the implementation of real-time evolution and in computations of correlation functions, which is key for efficient numerical implementations. As examples, we describe in detail two concrete implementations of our wMERA algorithm for free scalar and fermionic theories in (1+1) spacetime dimensions. Possible avenues for constructing wMERAs for interacting field theories are also discussed.

Mapping Large N Slightly Broken Higher Spin (SBHS) theory correlators to free theory correlators

We develop a systematic method to constrain any n-point correlation function of spinning operators in Large N Slightly Broken Higher Spin (SBHS) theories. As an illustration of the methodology, we work out the three point functions which reproduce the previously known results. We then work out the four point functions of spinning operators. We show that the correlation functions of spinning operators in the interacting SBHS theory take a remarkably simple form and that they can be written just in terms of the free fermionic and critical bosonic theory correlators. They also interpolate nicely between the results in these two theories. When expressed in spinor-helicity variables we obtain an anyonic phase which nicely interpolates between the free fermionic and critical bosonic results which makes 3D bosonization manifest. Further, we also obtain a form for five and higher point functions as well by performing a similar analysis.

Fermionic higher-form symmetries

In this paper, we explore a new type of global symmetries - the fermionic higher-form symmetries. They are generated by topological operators with fermionic parameter, which act on fermionic extended objects. We present a set of field theory examples with fermionic higher-form symmetries, which are constructed from fermionic tensor fields. They include the free fermionic tensor theories, a new type of fermionic topological quantum field theories, as well as the exotic 6d (4,0) theory. We also discuss the gauging and breaking of such global symmetries and the relation to the no global symmetry swampland conjecture.

Free field realization of the BMS Ising model

In this work, we study the inhomogeneous BMS free fermion theory, and show that it gives a free field realization of the BMS Ising model. We find that besides the BMS symmetry there exists an anisotropic scaling symmetry in BMS free fermion theory. As a result, the symmetry of the theory gets enhanced to an infinite dimensional symmetry generated by a new type of BMS-Kac-Moody algebra, different from the one found in the BMS free scalar model. Besides the different coupling of the u(1) Kac-Moody current to the BMS algebra, the Kac-Moody level is nonvanishing now such that the corresponding modules are further enlarged to BMS-Kac-Moody staggered modules. We show that there exists an underlying W (2, 2, 1) structure in the operator product expansion of the currents, and the BMS-Kac-Moody staggered modules can be viewed as highest-weight modules of this W-algebra. Moreover we obtain the BMS Ising model by a fermion-boson duality. This BMS Ising model is not a minimal model with respect to BMS3, since the minimal model construction based on BMS Kac determinant always leads to chiral Virasoro minimal models. Instead, the underlying algebra of the BMS Ising model is the W (2, 2, 1)-algebra, which can be understood as a quantum conformal BMS3 algebra.

Singular Limits of Relative Entropy in Two Dimensional Massive Free Fermion Theory

We show that certain singular limits of relative entropy of vacuum states in two dimensional massive free fermion theory exist and compute these limits. As an application we show that the c function computed by Casini and Huerta based on heuristic arguments arise naturally as a consequence of our results.

Modular parallel transport of multiple intervals in 1+1-dimensional free fermion theory

Modular parallel transport is a generalization of Berry phases, applied to modular (entanglement) Hamiltonians. Here we initiate the study of modular parallel transport for disjoint field theory regions. We study modular parallel transport in the kinematic space of multi-interval regions in the vacuum of 1+1-dimensional free fermion theory — one of the few theories for which modular Hamiltonians on disjoint regions are known. We compute explicitly the generators of modular parallel transport, and explain why their relatively simple form follows from a half-sided modular inclusion. We also compute explicitly the curvature two-form of modular parallel transport. We contrast all calculations with the expected behavior of modular parallel transport in holographic theories, emphasizing the role of non-local terms that couple distinct intervals.

Rényi Mutual Information in Quantum Field Theory.

We study a proper definition of Rényi mutual information (RMI) in quantum field theory as defined via the Petz Rényi relative entropy. Unlike the standard definition, the RMI we compute is a genuine measure of correlations between subsystems, as evidenced by its non-negativity and monotonicity under local operations. Furthermore, the RMI is UV finite and well defined in the continuum limit. We develop a replica path integral approach for the RMI in quantum field theories and evaluate it explicitly in 1+1D conformal field theory using twist fields. We prove that it bounds connected correlation functions and check our results against exact numerics in the massless free fermion theory.

CT or P problem and symmetric gapped fermion solution

An analogous ``strong $CP$ problem'' is identified in a toy model in two-dimensional spacetime: a general $1+1\mathrm{d}$ Abelian U(1) anomaly free chiral fermion and chiral gauge theory with a generic theta instanton term $\frac{\ensuremath{\theta}}{2\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{\int}F$. The theta term alone violates the charge-conjugation-time-reversal $CT$ and the parity $P$ discrete symmetries. The analogous puzzle here is the $CT$ or $P$ problem in $1+1\mathrm{d}$: Why can the $\overline{\ensuremath{\theta}}$ angle (including the effect of $\ensuremath{\theta}$ and the complex phase of a mass matrix) be zero or small for a natural reason? We show that this $CT$ or $P$ problem can be solved by a symmetric mass generation mechanism (SMG, namely generating a mass or energy gap while preserving an anomaly free symmetry). This $1+1\mathrm{d}$ toy model mimics several features of the $3+1\mathrm{d}$ Standard Model: chiral matter content, confinement, and Anderson-Higgs mass by Yukawa-Higgs term. One solution replaces some chiral fermion's Higgs-induced mean-field mass with SMG-induced non-mean-field mass. Another solution enriches this toy model by introducing several new physics beyond the Standard Model: a parity-reflection $PR$ discrete symmetry maps between the chiral and mirror fermions as fermion doubling localized on two domain walls at high energy, and SMG dynamically generates mass to the mirror fermion while still preserving the anomaly free chiral symmetry at an intermediate energy scale, much before the Higgs mechanism generates mass to the chiral fermion at lower energy. Without loss of generality, an arguably simplest $1+1\mathrm{d}$ U(1) symmetric anomaly free chiral fermion/gauge theory (e.g., Weyl fermions with ${3}_{L}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{4}_{L}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{5}_{R}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{0}_{R}$ U(1) charges) is demonstrated in detail. As an analogy to the superfluid-insulator or order-disorder quantum phase transition, in contrast to the conventional Peccei-Quinn solution sitting in the (quasi-long-range-order)-superfluid ordered phase, our solution is in the SMG insulator disordered phase.

Entanglement entropy and modular Hamiltonian of free fermion with deformations on a torus

In this work, we perturbatively calculate the modular Hamiltonian to obtain the entanglement entropy in a free fermion theory on a torus with three typical deformations, e.g., Toverline{T} deformation, local bilinear operator deformation, and mass deformation. For Toverline{T} deformation, we find that the leading order correction of entanglement entropy is proportional to the expectation value of the undeformed modular Hamiltonian. As a check, in the high/low-temperature limit, the entanglement entropy coincides with that obtained by the replica trick in the literature. Following the same perturbative strategy, we obtain the entanglement entropy of the free fermion vacuum state up to second-order by inserting a local bilinear operator deformation in a moving mirror setting. In the uniformly accelerated mirror, the first-order and second-order correction of entanglement entropy vanishes in the late time limit. For mass deformation, we derive the entanglement entropy up to first-order deformation and comment on the second-order correction.

Fermions in AdS and Gross-Neveu BCFT

We study the boundary critical behavior of conformal field theories of interacting fermions in the Gross-Neveu universality class. By a Weyl transformation, the problem can be studied by placing the CFT in an anti de Sitter space background. After reviewing some aspects of free fermion theories in AdS, we use both large N methods and the epsilon expansion near 2 and 4 dimensions to study the conformal boundary conditions in the Gross-Neveu CFT. At large N and general dimension d, we find three distinct boundary conformal phases. Near four dimensions, where the CFT is described by the Wilson-Fisher fixed point of the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model, two of these phases correspond respectively to the choice of Neumann or Dirichlet boundary condition on the scalar field, while the third one corresponds to the case where the bulk scalar field acquires a classical expectation value. One may flow between these boundary critical points by suitable relevant boundary deformations. We compute the AdS free energy on each of them, and verify that its value is consistent with the boundary version of the F-theorem. We also compute some of the BCFT observables in these theories, including bulk two-point functions of scalar and fermions, and four-point functions of boundary fermions.

Inhomogeneous quantum quenches in the sine-Gordon theory

We study inhomogeneous quantum quenches in the attractive regime of the sine--Gordon model. In our protocol, the system is prepared in an inhomogeneous initial state in finite volume by coupling the topological charge density operator to a Gaussian external field. After switching off the external field, the subsequent time evolution is governed by the homogeneous sine--Gordon Hamiltonian. Varying either the interaction strength of the sine--Gordon model or the amplitude of the external source field, an interesting transition is observed in the expectation value of the soliton density. This affects both the initial profile of the density and its time evolution and can be summarised as a steep transition between behaviours reminiscent of the Klein--Gordon, and the free massive Dirac fermion theory with initial external fields of high enough magnitude. The transition in the initial state is also displayed by the classical sine--Gordon theory and hence can be understood by semi-classical considerations in terms of the presence of small amplitude field configurations and the appearance of soliton excitations, which are naturally associated with bosonic and fermionic excitations on the quantum level, respectively. Features of the quantum dynamics are also consistent with this correspondence and comparing them to the classical evolution of the density profile reveals that quantum effects become markedly pronounced during the time evolution. These results suggest a crossover between the dominance of bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom whose precise identification in terms of the fundamental particle excitations can be rather non-trivial. Nevertheless, their interplay is expected to influence the sine--Gordon dynamics in arbitrary inhomogeneous settings.

Constraining momentum space CFT correlators with consistent position space OPE limit and the collider bound

Consistency with position space OPE limit requires three-point momentum space CFT correlators to have only total energy singularity. We show that this requirement gives a simple proof of the known result that in three dimensions the parity-odd structure cannot exist for three-point correlators of exactly conserved currents with spins si, sj, sk, when triangle inequality si ≤ sj + sk is violated. We also show that even for parity even correlation functions the properties are different inside and outside the triangle. It was previously shown that if we allow for weakly broken higher spin symmetry, parity-odd correlators can exist even when triangle inequality is violated. In this paper we establish a relation between non-conservation Ward-Takahashi (WT) identities for weakly broken currents at large N and the WT identities for exactly conserved currents with the help of a few examples. This allows us to calculate the parity violating results outside the triangle using parity-even free bosonic and free fermionic results.In general, there is one parity-odd structure and two parity-even structures for three-point functions. It can be shown that the coefficient of one of the parity-even and odd parts can be combined into a complex parameter c when correlators are expressed in spinor-helicity variables. When this complex parameter takes real value c = ±1 it corresponds to either the free boson or free fermion theory. When c is a pure phase, it corresponds to Chern-Simons matter theories. Furthermore, re-expressing known results for conformal collider bounds we see that |c| ≤ 1 for generic 3d CFTs and |c| ≤ f(∆gap) for holographic CFTs.

Entanglement of magnon excitations in spin chains

We calculate exactly the entanglement content of magnon excited states in the integrable spin-1/2 XXX and XXZ chains in the scaling limit. In particular, we show that as far as the number of excited magnons with respect to the size of the system is small one can decompose the entanglement content, in the scaling limit, to the sum of the entanglement of particular excited states of free fermionic or bosonic theories. In addition we conjecture that the entanglement content of the generic translational invariant free fermionic and bosonic Hamiltonians can be also classified, in the scaling limit, with respect to the entanglement content of the fermionic and bosonic chains with the number operator as the Hamiltonian in certain circumstances. Our results effectively classify the entanglement content of wide range of integrable spin chains in the scaling limit.

Ephemeral islands, plunging quantum extremal surfaces and BCFT channels

We consider entanglement entropies of finite spatial intervals in Minkowski radiation baths coupled to the eternal black hole in JT gravity, and the related problem involving free fermion BCFT in the thermofield double state. We show that the non-monotonic entropy evolution in the black hole problem precisely matches that of the free fermion theory in a high temperature limit, and the results have the form expected for CFTs with quasiparticle description. Both exhibit rich behaviour that involves at intermediate times, an entropy saddle with an island in the former case, and in the latter a special class of disconnected OPE channels. The quantum extremal surfaces start inside the horizon, but can emerge from and plunge back inside as time evolves, accompanied by a characteristic dip in the entropy also seen in the free fermion BCFT. Finally an entropy equilibrium is reached with a no-island saddle.

Quantum simulation of second-quantized Hamiltonians in compact encoding

We describe methods for simulating general second-quantized Hamiltonians using the compact encoding, in which qubit states encode only the occupied modes in physical occupation number basis states. These methods apply to second-quantized Hamiltonians composed of a constant number of interactions, i.e., linear combinations of ladder operator monomials of fixed form. Compact encoding leads to qubit requirements that are optimal up to logarithmic factors. We show how to use sparse Hamiltonian simulation methods for second-quantized Hamiltonians in compact encoding, give explicit implementations for the required oracles, and analyze the methods. We also describe several example applications including the free boson and fermion theories, the $\phi^4$-theory, and the massive Yukawa model, all in both equal-time and light-front quantization. Our methods provide a general-purpose tool for simulating second-quantized Hamiltonians, with optimal or near-optimal scaling with error and model parameters.

Topological dipole conserving insulators and multipolar responses

Higher order topological insulators (HOTIs) are a novel form of insulating quantum matter, which are characterized by having gapped boundaries that are separated by gapless corner or hinge states. Recently, it has been proposed that the essential features of a large class of HOTIs are captured by topological multipolar response theories. In this work, we show that these multipolar responses can be realized in interacting lattice models, which conserve both charge and dipole. In this work we study several models in both the strongly interacting and mean-field limits. In $2$D we consider a ring-exchange model which exhibits a quadrupole response, and can be tuned to a $C_4$ symmetric higher order topological phase with half-integer quadrupole moment, as well as half-integer corner charges. We then extend this model to develop an analytic description of adiabatic dipole pumping in an interacting lattice model. The quadrupole moment changes during this pumping process, and if the process is periodic, we show the total change in the quadrupole moment is quantized as an integer. We also consider two interacting $3$D lattice models with chiral hinge modes. We show that the chiral hinge modes are heralds of a recently proposed "dipolar Chern-Simons" response, which is related to the quadrupole response by dimensional reduction. Interestingly, we find that in the mean field limit, both the $2$D and $3$D interacting models we consider here are equivalent to known models of non-interacting HOTIs (or boundary obstructed versions). The self-consistent mean-field theory treatment provides insight into the connection between free-fermion (mean-field) theories having vanishing polarization and interacting models where dipole moments are microscopically conserved.

Non-Wilson-Fisher kinks of $O(N)$ numerical bootstrap: from the deconfined phase transition to a putative new family of CFTs

It is well established that the O(N)O(N) Wilson-Fisher (WF) CFT sits at a kink of the numerical bounds from bootstrapping four point function of O(N)O(N) vector. Moving away from the WF kinks, there indeed exists another family of kinks (dubbed non-WF kinks) on the curve of O(N)O(N) numerical bounds. Different from the O(N)O(N) WF kinks that exist for arbitary NN in 2<d<42<d<4 dimensions, the non-WF kinks exist in arbitrary dimensions but only for a large enough N>N_c(d)N>Nc(d) in a given dimension dd. In this paper we have achieved a thorough understanding for few special cases of these non-WF kinks, which already hints interesting physics. The first case is the O(4)O(4) bootstrap in 2d, where the non-WF kink turns out to be the SU(2)_1SU(2)1 Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model, and all the SU(2)_{k>2}SU(2)k>2 WZW models saturate the numerical bound on the left side of the kink. This is a mirror version of the Z_2Z2 bootstrap, where the 2d Ising CFT sits at a kink while all the other minimal models saturating the bound on the right. We further carry out dimensional continuation of the 2d SU(2)_1SU(2)1 kink towards the 3d SO(5)SO(5) deconfined phase transition. We find the kink disappears at around d=2.7d=2.7 dimensions indicating the SO(5)SO(5) deconfined phase transition is weakly first order. The second interesting observation is, the O(2)O(2) bootstrap bound does not show any kink in 2d (N_c=2Nc=2), but is surprisingly saturated by the 2d free boson CFT (also called Luttinger liquid) all the way on the numerical curve. The last case is the N=\inftyN=∞ limit, where the non-WF kink sits at (\Delta_\phi, \Delta_T)=(d-1, 2d)(Δϕ,ΔT)=(d−1,2d) in dd dimensions. We manage to write down its analytical four point function in arbitrary dimensions, which equals to the subtraction of correlation functions of a free fermion theory and generalized free theory. An important feature of this solution is the existence of a full tower of conserved higher spin current. We speculate that a new family of CFTs will emerge at non-WF kinks for finite NN, in a similar fashion as O(N)O(N) WF CFTs originating from free boson at N=\inftyN=∞.

Reflection positivity and invertible topological phases

We implement an extended version of reflection positivity (Wick-rotated unitarity) for invertible topological quantum field theories and compute the abelian group of deformation classes using stable homotopy theory. We apply these field theory considerations to lattice systems, assuming the existence and validity of low energy effective field theory approximations, and thereby produce a general formula for the group of Symmetry Protected Topological (SPT) phases in terms of Thom's bordism spectra; the only input is the dimension and symmetry group. We provide computations for fermionic systems in physically relevant dimensions. Other topics include symmetry in quantum field theories, a relativistic 10-fold way, the homotopy theory of relativistic free fermions, and a topological spin-statistics theorem.

Free fermions, vertex Hamiltonians, and lower-dimensional AdS/CFT

In this paper we first demonstrate explicitly that the new models of integrable nearest-neighbour Hamiltonians recently introduced in PRL 125 (2020) 031604 [36] satisfy the so-called free fermion condition. This both implies that all these models are amenable to reformulations as free fermion theories, and establishes the universality of this condition. We explicitly recast the transfer matrix in free fermion form for arbitrary number of sites in the 6-vertex sector, and on two sites in the 8-vertex sector, using a Bogoliubov transformation. We then put this observation to use in lower-dimensional instances of AdS/CFT integrable R-matrices, specifically pure Ramond-Ramond massless and massive AdS3, mixed-flux relativistic AdS3 and massless AdS2. We also attack the class of models akin to AdS5 with our free fermion machinery. In all cases we use the free fermion realisation to greatly simplify and reinterpret a wealth of known results, and to provide a very suggestive reformulation of the spectral problem in all these situations.