Functions In Quantum Field Theory Research Articles

Effective Action in Free Probability

Recent works have explored relations between classical and quantum statistical physics on the one hand and Voiculescu's theory of free probability on the other. Motivated by these results, the present work focuses on the notion of effective action, which is closely related to the large deviation rate function in classical probability and one-particle irreducible correlation functions in quantum field theories. The central aim is to understand how it can be defined and studied in free probability. In this respect, we introduce a suitable diagrammatic formalism.

Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin Gauge Transformations for the Propagator and Vertex in QED and QED2

The non-perturbative Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin (LKF) transformations describe how Green functions in quantum field theory transform under a change in the photon field’s linear covariant gauge parameter (denoted ξ). The transformations are framed most simply in coordinate space where they are multiplicative. They imply that information on gauge-dependent contributions from higher order diagrams in the perturbative series is contained in lower order contributions, which is useful in multi-loop calculations. We study the LKF transformations for the propagator and the vertex in both scalar and spinor QED, in some particular dimensions. A novelty of our work is to derive momentum-space integral representations of these transformations; our expressions are also applicable to the longitudinal and transverse parts of the vertex. Applying these transformations to the tree-level Green functions, we show that the one-loop terms obtained from the LKF transformation agree with the gauge dependent parts obtained from perturbation theory. Our results will be presented in more comprehensive form elsewhere.

Loop corrections in Minkowski spacetime away from equilibrium. Part II. Finite-time results

Loop corrections to finite-time correlation functions in quantum field theories away from equilibrium can be calculated using the in-in path integral approach. In this paper, we calculate the unequal-time two-point correlator for different massless self-interacting scalar quantum field theories on a Minkowski background, starting the field evolution at an arbitrary initial time. We find the counterterms that need to be added to UV-renormalize the result, including usual in-out counterterms in the dynamics and additional initial state counterterms that are required to cancel all UV divergences. We find that the late-time limit of the renormalized correlation function exhibits a linear or logarithmic growth in time, depending on whether the interaction strength is dimension-one or dimensionless, respectively. The late-time correlations match those obtained in our companion paper and, as shown there, the divergences do not indicate a real IR issue, consistent with what one would expect in Minkowski.

Quantum field theory based quantum information: Measurements and correlations

This is the first in a series of papers aiming to develop a relativistic quantum information theory in terms of unequal-time correlation functions in quantum field theory. In this work, we highlight two formalisms which together can provide a useful theoretical platform suitable for further developments: (1) Quantum field measurements using the Quantum Temporal Probabilities (QTP) method; (2) Closed-Time-Path (CTP) formalism for causal time evolutions. QTP incorporates the detector into the quantum description, while emphasizing that the records of measurement are macroscopic and can be expressed in terms of classical spacetime coordinates. We first present a new, elementary derivation of the QTP formulas for the probabilities of n measurement events. We then demonstrate the relation of QTP with the Closed-Time-Path formalism, by writing an explicit formula that relates the associated generating functionals. We exploit the path integral representation of the CTP formalism, in order to express the measured probabilities in terms of path integrals. After this, we provide some simple applications of the QTP formalism. In particular, we show how Unruh–DeWitt detector models and Glauber’s photodetection theory appear as limiting cases. Finally, with quantum correlation being the pivotal notion in relativistic quantum information and measurements, we highlight the role played by the CTP two-particle irreducible effective action which enables one to tap into the resources of non-equilibrium quantum field theory for our stated purpose.

A machine learning pipeline for autonomous numerical analytic continuation of Dyson-Schwinger equations

Dyson-Schwinger equations (DSEs) are a non-perturbative way to express n-point functions in quantum field theory. Working in Euclidean space and in Landau gauge, for example, one can study the quark propagator Dyson-Schwinger equation in the real and complex domain, given that a suitable and tractable truncation has been found. When aiming for solving these equations in the complex domain, that is, for complex external momenta, one has to deform the integration contour of the radial component in the complex plane of the loop momentum expressed in hyper-spherical coordinates. This has to be done in order to avoid poles and branch cuts in the integrand of the self-energy loop. Since the nature of Dyson-Schwinger equations is such, that they have to be solved in a self-consistent way, one cannot analyze the analytic properties of the integrand after every iteration step, as this would not be feasible. In these proceedings, we suggest a machine learning pipeline based on deep learning (DL) approaches to computer vision (CV), as well as deep reinforcement learning (DRL), that could solve this problem autonomously by detecting poles and branch cuts in the numerical integrand after every iteration step and by suggesting suitable integration contour deformations that avoid these obstructions. We sketch out a proof of principle for both of these tasks, that is, the pole and branch cut detection, as well as the contour deformation.

Numerical Contour Integration

We present a straightforward implementation of contour integration by setting options for Integrate and NIntegrate, taking advantage of powerful results in complex analysis. As such, this article can be viewed as documentation to perform numerical contour integration with the existing built-in tools. We provide examples of how this method can be used when integrating analytically and numerically some commonly used distributions, such as Wightman functions in quantum field theory. We also provide an approximating technique when time-ordering is involved, a commonly encountered scenario in quantum field theory for computing second-order terms in Dyson series expansion and Feynman propagators. We believe our implementation will be useful for more general calculations involving advanced or retarded Green’s functions, propagators, kernels and so on.

Two-dimensional perturbative scalar QFT and Atiyah–Segal gluing

We study the perturbative quantization of 2-dimensional massive scalar field theory with polynomial (or power series) potential on manifolds with boundary. We prove that it fits into the functorial quantum field theory framework of Atiyah-Segal. In particular, we prove that the perturbative partition function defined in terms of integrals over configuration spaces of points on the surface satisfies an Atiyah-Segal type gluing formula. Tadpoles (short loops) behave nontrivially under gluing and play a crucial role in the result.

’t Hooft Anomalies of Discrete Gauge Theories and Non-abelian Group Cohomology

We study discrete symmetries of Dijkgraaf-Witten theories and their gauging in the framework of (extended) functorial quantum field theory. Non-abelian group cohomology is used to describe discrete symmetries and we derive concrete conditions for such a symmetry to admit 't Hooft anomalies in terms of the Lyndon-Hochschild-Serre spectral sequence. We give an explicit realization of a discrete gauge theory with 't Hooft anomaly as a state on the boundary of a higher-dimensional Dijkgraaf-Witten theory. This allows us to calculate the 2-cocycle twisting the projective representation of physical symmetries via transgression. We present a general discussion of the bulk-boundary correspondence at the level of partition functions and state spaces, which we make explicit for discrete gauge theories.

Derivation of the zeroth retardation order Boltzmann equation from nonstandard space–time Wigner quantum kinetics

A derivation of the equation of motion satisfied by a prototype of the forward space–time Wigner distribution, that incorporates a Fourier transformation of truncated time shifts as compared with the standard Wigner distribution, is carried out in the case of a many-body system within the formalism of nonequilibrium Green’s functions of quantum field theory. In particular, the single-particle equation found in López and Soler (2016) is recovered when the self-energy interaction effects are neglected. Then, a sinc-corrected quantum kinetic Boltzmann equation is derived that rules the evolution of the standard Wigner transform, which is shown to be reduced to the usual Boltzmann equation when only binary elastic collisions are considered.

The exchange graph and variations of the ratio of the two Symanzik polynomials

Correlation functions in quantum field theory are calculated using Feynman amplitudes, which are finite dimensional integrals associated to graphs. The integrand is the exponential of the ratio of the first and second Symanzik polynomials associated to the Feynman graph, which are described in terms of the spanning trees and spanning 2-forests of the graph, respectively. In a previous paper with Bloch, Burgos and Fresan, we related this ratio to the asymptotic of the Archimedean height pairing between degree zero divisors on degenerating families of Riemann surfaces. Motivated by this, we consider in this paper the variation of the ratio of the two Symanzik polynomials under bounded perturbations of the geometry of the graph. This is a natural problem in connection with the theory of nilpotent and SL2 orbits in Hodge theory. Our main result is the boundedness of variation of the ratio. For this we define the exchange graph of a given graph which encodes the exchange properties between spanning trees and spanning 2-forests in the graph. We provide a description of the connected components of this graph, and use this to prove our result on boundedness of the variations.

Constraining quantum fields using modular theory

Tomita-Takesaki modular theory provides a set of algebraic tools in quantum field theory that is suitable for the study of the information-theoretic properties of states. For every open set in spacetime and choice of two states, the modular theory defines a positive operator known as the relative modular operator that decreases monotonically under restriction to subregions. We study the consequences of this operator monotonicity inequality for correlation functions in quantum field theory. We do so by constructing a one-parameter Rényi family of information-theoretic measures from the relative modular operator that inherit monotonicity by construction and reduce to correlation functions in special cases. In the case of finite quantum systems, this Rényi family is the sandwiched Rényi divergence and we obtain a simple proof of its monotonicity. Its monotonicity implies a class of constraints on correlation functions in quantum field theory, only a small set of which were known to us. We explore these inequalities for free fields and conformal field theory. We conjecture that the second null derivative of Rényi divergence is non-negative which is a generalization of the quantum null energy condition to the Rényi family.

The Evolution Function of the Operator − (−Δ)v

The evolution function of the differential operator −(−Δ)v in a d-dimensional Euclidean space is calculated. We obtain its analytic expression through the Fox-Wright psi-functions, which is well-defined for both integer and noninteger values of v and d. Possible applications of the obtained functions in quantum field theory and the connection with fractional calculus are discussed.

Reply to “Comment on ‘Relation between scattering amplitude and Bethe-Salpeter wave function in quantum field theory”’

We reemphasize the momentum dependence of the coefficients of the derivative expansion as already explained in our paper [1]. We also discuss how the momentum dependence plagues the time-dependent HALQCD method and what is a necessary condition for the method to yield valid results being independent of the choice of the interpolating operators.

Comment on “Relation between scattering amplitude and Bethe-Salpeter wave function in quantum field theory”

We invalidate the arguments given in [T.Yamazaki and Y.Kuramashi, Phys. Rev. D96, 114511 (2017)] over the HAL QCD method for hadron-hadron interactions on the lattice. We also pose questions on the practical usefulness of the method proposed in this reference.

Extended Quantum Field Theory, Index Theory, and the Parity Anomaly

We use techniques from functorial quantum field theory to provide a geometric description of the parity anomaly in fermionic systems coupled to background gauge and gravitational fields on odd-dimensional spacetimes. We give an explicit construction of a geometric cobordism bicategory which incorporates general background fields in a stack, and together with the theory of symmetric monoidal bicategories we use it to provide the concrete forms of invertible extended quantum field theories which capture anomalies in both the path integral and Hamiltonian frameworks. Specialising this situation by using the extension of the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem to manifolds with corners due to Loya and Melrose, we obtain a new Hamiltonian perspective on the parity anomaly. We compute explicitly the 2-cocycle of the projective representation of the gauge symmetry on the quantum state space, which is defined in a parity-symmetric way by suitably augmenting the standard chiral fermionic Fock spaces with Lagrangian subspaces of zero modes of the Dirac Hamiltonian that naturally appear in the index theorem. We describe the significance of our constructions for the bulk-boundary correspondence in a large class of time-reversal invariant gauge-gravity symmetry-protected topological phases of quantum matter with gapless charged boundary fermions, including the standard topological insulator in 3+1 dimensions.

Numbers and functions in quantum field theory

We review recent results in the theory of numbers and single-valued functions on the complex plane which arise in quantum field theory. We use the results to calculate the renormalization functions $\beta$, $\gamma$, $\gamma_m$ of dimensionally regularized $\phi^4$ theory in the minimal subtraction scheme up to seven loops.

Relation between scattering amplitude and Bethe-Salpeter wave function in quantum field theory

We reexamine the relations between the Bethe-Salpeter (BS) wave function of two particles, the on-shell scattering amplitude, and the effective potential in quantum filed theory. It is emphasized that there is an exact relation between the BS wave function inside the interaction range and the scattering amplitude, and the reduced BS wave function, which is defined in this article, plays an essential role in this relation. Based on the exact relation, we show that the solution of Schr\"odinger equation with the effective potential gives us a correct on-shell scattering amplitude only at the momentum where the effective potential is calculated, while wrong results are obtained from the Schr\"odinger equation at general momenta. We also discuss about a momentum expansion of the reduced BS wave function and an uncertainty of the scattering amplitude stemming from the choice of the interpolating operator in the BS wave function. The theoretical conclusion obtained in this article could give hints to understand the inconsistency observed in lattice QCD calculation of the two-nucleon channels with different approaches.

A measure theoretic perspective on the space of Feynman diagrams

The article applies Connes–Kreimer Hopf algebra of Feynman diagrams and theory of graphons to build an operational calculus machinery on the basis of measure theory for Green’s functions of quantum field theory.

Bayesian inference of nonpositive spectral functions in quantum field theory

We present the generalization to nonpositive definite spectral functions of a recently proposed Bayesian deconvolution approach (BR method). The novel prior used here retains many of the beneficial analytic properties of the original method; in particular, it allows us to integrate out the hyperparameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ directly. To preserve the underlying axiom of scale invariance, we introduce a second default-model related function, whose role is discussed. Our reconstruction prescription is contrasted with existing direct methods, as well as with an approach where shift functions are introduced to compensate for negative spectral features. A mock spectrum analysis inspired by the study of gluon spectral functions in QCD illustrates the capabilities of this new approach.

Trees

An algebraic formalism, developed with V. Glaser and R. Stora for the study of the generalized retarded functions of quantum field theory, is used to prove a factorization theorem which provides a complete description of the generalized retarded functions associated with any tree graph. Integrating over the variables associated to internal vertices to obtain the perturbative generalized retarded functions for interacting fields arising from such graphs is shown to be possible for a large category of space–times.