Twist Operators Research Articles

Twist for Snyder space

We construct the twist operator for the Snyder space. Our starting point is a non-associative star product related to a Hermitian realisation of the noncommutative coordinates originally introduced by Snyder. The corresponding coproduct of momenta is non-coassociative. The twist is constructed using a general definition of the star product in terms of a bi-differential operator in the Hopf algebroid approach. The result is given by a closed analytical expression. We prove that this twist reproduces the correct coproducts of the momenta and the Lorentz generators. The twisted Poincaré symmetry is described by a non-associative Hopf algebra, while the twisted Lorentz symmetry is described by the undeformed Hopf algebra. This new twist might be important in the construction of different types of field theories on Snyder space.

Entanglement, replicas, and Thetas

We compute the single-interval Rényi entropy (replica partition function) for free fermions in 1+1d at finite temperature and finite spatial size by two methods: (i) using the higher-genus partition function on the replica Riemann surface, and (ii) using twist operators on the torus. We compare the two answers for a restricted set of spin structures, leading to a non-trivial proposed equivalence between higher-genus Siegel Θ-functions and Jacobi θ-functions. We exhibit this proposal and provide substantial evidence for it. The resulting expressions can be elegantly written in terms of Jacobi forms. Thereafter we argue that the correct Rényi entropy for modular-invariant free-fermion theories, such as the Ising model and the Dirac CFT, is given by the higher-genus computation summed over all spin structures. The result satisfies the physical checks of modular covariance, the thermal entropy relation, and Bose-Fermi equivalence.

Nucleon average quark momentum fraction with Nf = 2+1 Wilson fermions

We report on an analysis of the average quark momentum fraction of the nucleon and related quantities using Nf = 2 + 1 Wilson fermions. Computations are performed on four CLS ensembles covering three values of the lattice spacing at pion masses down to Mπ ≈ 200 MeV. Several source-sink separations (~ 1:0 fm to ~ 1:4 fm) are used to assess the excited-state contamination. To gain further insight, the generalized pencil-of-functions approach has been implemented to reduce the excited-state contamination in the relevant two-and three-point functions. Preliminary results are shown for the isovector nucleon charges from vector, axial vector and tensor derivative (twist-2) operators.

Generalised double-logarithmic equation in QCD

We present a generalisation of the double-logarithmic equation for the anomalous dimension of the non-singlet unpolarised twist-2 operators in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Using the known three-loop result, this generalisation allows to predict a small x expansion of the four-loop non-singlet splitting functions in QCD for all powers of logarithms up to the single-logarithm term.

Conformal bootstrap in the Regge limit

We analytically solve the conformal bootstrap equations in the Regge limit for large N conformal field theories. For theories with a parametrically large gap, the amplitude is dominated by spin-2 exchanges and we show how the crossing equations naturally lead to the construction of AdS exchange Witten diagrams. We also show how this is encoded in the anomalous dimensions of double-trace operators of large spin and large twist. We use the chaos bound to prove that the anomalous dimensions are negative. Extending these results to correlators containing two scalars and two conserved currents, we show how to reproduce the CEMZ constraint that the three-point function between two currents and one stress tensor only contains the structure given by Einstein-Maxwell theory in AdS, up to small corrections. Finally, we consider the case where operators of unbounded spin contribute to the Regge amplitude, whose net effect is captured by summing the leading Regge trajectory. We compute the resulting anomalous dimensions and corrections to OPE coefficients in the crossed channel and use the chaos bound to show that both are negative.

Dissimilarities of reduced density matrices and eigenstate thermalization hypothesis

We calculate various quantities that characterize the dissimilarity of reduced density matrices for a short interval of length ℓ in a two-dimensional (2D) large central charge conformal field theory (CFT). These quantities include the Rényi entropy, entanglement entropy, relative entropy, Jensen-Shannon divergence, as well as the Schatten 2-norm and 4-norm. We adopt the method of operator product expansion of twist operators, and calculate the short interval expansion of these quantities up to order of ℓ9 for the contributions from the vacuum conformal family. The formal forms of these dissimilarity measures and the derived Fisher information metric from contributions of general operators are also given. As an application of the results, we use these dissimilarity measures to compare the excited and thermal states, and examine the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) by showing how they behave in high temperature limit. This would help to understand how ETH in 2D CFT can be defined more precisely. We discuss the possibility that all the dissimilarity measures considered here vanish when comparing the reduced density matrices of an excited state and a generalized Gibbs ensemble thermal state. We also discuss ETH for a microcanonical ensemble thermal state in a 2D large central charge CFT, and find that it is approximately satisfied for a small subsystem and violated for a large subsystem.

Renormalizability of quasiparton distribution functions

Quasi-parton distribution functions have received a lot of attentions in both perturbative QCD and lattice QCD communities in recent years because they not only carry good information on the parton distribution functions, but also could be evaluated by lattice QCD simulations. However, unlike the parton distribution functions, the quasi-parton distribution functions have perturbative ultraviolet power divergences because they are not defined by twist-2 operators. In this paper, we identify all sources of ultraviolet divergences for the quasi-parton distribution functions in coordinate-space, and demonstrate that power divergences, as well as all logarithmic divergences can be renormalized multiplicatively to all orders in QCD perturbation theory.

Full action of two deformation operators in the D1D5 CFT

We are interested in thermalization in the D1D5 CFT, since this process is expected to be dual to black hole formation. We expect that the lowest order process where thermalization occurs will be at second order in the perturbation that moves us away from the orbifold point. The operator governing the deformation off of the orbifold point consists of a twist operator combined with a supercharge operator acting on this twist. In a previous paper we computed the action of two twist operators on an arbitrary state of the CFT. In the present work we compute the action of the supercharges on these twist operators, thereby obtaining the full action of two deformation operators on an arbitrary state of the CFT. We show that the full amplitude can be related to the amplitude with just the twists through an action of the supercharge operators on the initial and final states. The essential part of this computation consists of moving the contours from the twist operators to the initial and final states; to do this one must first map the amplitude to a covering space where the twists are removed, and then map back to the original space on which the CFT is defined.

A twisted nonabelian Hodge correspondence

We prove an extension of the nonabelian Hodge theorem [Sim92] in which the underlying objects are twisted torsors over a smooth complex projective variety. In the prototypical case of $GL_n$-torsors, one side of this correspondence consists of vector bundles equipped with an action of a sheaf of twisted differential operators in the sense of Beĭlinson and Bernstein [BB93]; on the other side, we endow them with appropriately defined twisted Higgs data. The proof we present here is formal, in the sense that we do not delve into the analysis involved in the classical nonabelian Hodge correspondence. Instead, we use homotopy-theoretic methods—chief among them the theory of principal $\infty$-bundles [NSS12a]—to reduce our statement to classical, untwisted Hodge theory [Sim02].

Aharonov-Bohm effect on entanglement entropy in conformal field theory

We consider the Aharonov-Bohm effect on entanglement entropy for one interval in ($1+1$) dimensional conformal field theory on a one dimensional ring. The magnetic field is confined inside the ring, i.e., there is a Wilson loop on the ring. The Aharonov-Bohm phase factor which is proportional to the Wilson loop is represented as insertion of twist operators. We compute exactly the R\'enyi entropy from a four point function of twist operators in a free charged scalar field.

Out-of-time-ordered correlators in a (T2)n/Zn CFT

In this note we continue analysing the non-equilibrium dynamics in the $(T^2)^n/\mathbb{Z}_n$ orbifold conformal field theory. We compute the out-of-time-ordered four-point correlators with twist operators. For rational $\eta \ (=p/q)$ which is the square of the compactification radius, we find that the correlators approach non-trivial constants at late time. For $n=2$ they are expressed in terms of the modular matrices and for higher $n$ orbifolds are functions of $pq$ and $n$. For irrational $\eta$, we find a new polynomial decay of the correlators that is a signature of an intermediate regime between rational and chaotic models.

Gravitational dual of the Rényi displacement operator

We give a recipe for computing correlation functions of the displacement operator localized on a spherical or planar higher dimensional twist defect using AdS/CFT. Such twist operators are typically used to construct the $n$'th Renyi entropies of spatial entanglement in CFTs and are holographically dual to black holes with hyperbolic horizons. The displacement operator then tells us how the Renyi entropies change under small shape deformations of the entangling surface. We explicitly construct the bulk to boundary propagator for the displacement operator insertion as a linearized metric fluctuation of the hyperbolic black hole and use this to extract the coefficient of the displacement operator two point function $C_D$ in any dimension. The $n \rightarrow 1$ limit of the twist displacement operator gives the same bulk response as the insertion of a null energy operator in vacuum, which is consistent with recent results on the shape dependence of entanglement entropy and modular energy.

Rényi mutual information for a free scalar field in even dimensions

We compute the R\'enyi mutual information of two disjoint spheres in free massless scalar theory in even dimensions higher than two. The spherical twist operator in a conformal field theory can be expanded into the sum of local primary operators and their descendants. We analyze the primary operators in the replicated scalar theory and find the ones of the fewest dimensions and spins. We study the one-point function of these operators in the conical geometry and obtain their expansion coefficients in the OPE of spherical twist operators. We show that the R\'enyi mutual information can be expressed in terms of the conformal partial waves. We compute explicitly the R\'enyi mutual information up to order $z^d$, where $z$ is the cross ratio and $d$ is the spacetime dimension.

Holographic reconstruction of AdS exchanges from crossing symmetry

Motivated by AdS/CFT, we address the following outstanding question in large N conformal field theory: given the appearance of a single-trace operator in the mathcal{O}times mathcal{O} OPE of a scalar primary mathcal{O} , what is its total contribution to the vacuum four-point function leftlangle mathcal{OOOO}rightrangle as dictated by crossing symmetry? We solve this problem in 4d conformal field theories at leading order in 1/N. Viewed holographically, this provides a field theory reconstruction of crossing-symmetric, four-point exchange amplitudes in AdS5. Our solution takes the form of a resummation of the large spin solution to the crossing equations, supplemented by corrections at finite spin, required by crossing. The method can be applied to the exchange of operators of arbitrary twist τ and spin s, although it vastly simplifies for even-integer twist, where we give explicit results. The output is the set of OPE data for the exchange of all double-trace operators {left[mathcal{O}mathcal{O}right]}_{n,ell } . We find that the double-trace anomalous dimensions γn,ℓ are negative, monotonic and convex functions of ℓ, for all n and all ℓ > s. This constitutes a holographic signature of bulk causality and classical dynamics of even-spin fields. We also find that the “derivative relation” between double-trace anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients does not hold in general, and derive the explicit form of the deviation in several cases. Finally, we study large n limits of γn,ℓ, relevant for the Regge and bulk-point regimes.

Component twist method for higher twists in D1-D5 CFT

The deformation operator of the D1D5 orbifold CFT, a twist 2 operator, drives the CFT towards the black hole dual and its physics is key to understanding thermalization in the D1D5 system. To further study this deformation, we extend previous work on the effect of twist 2 operators to a method that works for higher orders, in the continuum limit. Our component twist method works by building higher twist operators out of twist 2 operators together with knowledge of Bogoliubov transformations. Consequently, this method sidesteps limitations in Lunin-Mathur technology by avoiding lifts to the covering space. We verify the method by reproducing results obtainable with Lunin-Mathur technology. Going further, our method upholds a previously conjectured scaling law in the continuum limit that applies to any generic configuration of twists. We illustrate this with computations for a new configuration of two twist 2 operators that twists three copies together.

Lattice Dirac fermions on a simplicial Riemannian manifold

The lattice Dirac equation is formulated on a simplicial complex which approximates a smooth Riemann manifold by introducing a lattice vierbein on each site and a lattice spin connection on each link. Care is taken so the construction applies to any smooth D-dimensional Riemannian manifold that permits a spin connection. It is tested numerically in 2D for the projective sphere ${\mathbb S}^2$ in the limit of an increasingly refined sequence of triangles. The eigenspectrum and eigenvectors are shown to converge rapidly to the exact result in the continuum limit. In addition comparison is made with the continuum Ising conformal field theory on ${\mathbb S}^2$. Convergence is tested for the two point, $\langle \epsilon(x_1) \epsilon(x_2) \rangle$, and the four point, $\langle \sigma(x_1) \epsilon(x_2) \epsilon(x_3 )\sigma(x_4) \rangle $, correlators for the energy, $\epsilon(x) = i \bar \psi(x)\psi(x)$, and twist operators, $\sigma(x)$, respectively.

On the mutual information in conformal field theory

In this work, we study the universal behaviors in the mutual information of two disjoint spheres in a conformal field theory (CFT). By using the operator product expansion of the spherical twist operator in terms of the conformal family, we show that the large distance expansion of the mutual information can be cast in terms of the conformal blocks. We develop the 1/n prescription to compute the coefficients before the conformal blocks. For a single conformal family, the leading nonvanishing contribution to the mutual information comes from the bilinear operators. We show that the coefficients of these operators take universal forms and such universal behavior persists in the bilinear operators with derivatives as well. Consequently the first few leading order contributions to the mutual information in CFT take universal forms. To illustrate our framework, we discuss the free scalars and free fermions in various dimensions. For the free scalars, we compute the mutual information to the next-to-leading order and find good agreement with the improved numerical lattice result. For the free fermion, we compute the leading order result, which is of universal form, and find the good match with the numerical study. Our formalism could be applied to any CFT potentially.

Three-loop evolution equation for flavor-nonsinglet operators in off-forward kinematics

Using the approach based on conformal symmetry we calculate the three-loop (NNLO) contribution to the evolution equation for flavor-nonsinglet leading twist operators in the overline{mathrm{MS}} scheme. The explicit expression for the three-loop kernel is derived for the corresponding light-ray operator in coordinate space. The expansion in local operators is performed and explicit results are given for the matrix of the anomalous dimensions for the operators up to seven covariant derivatives. The results are directly applicable to the renormalization of the pion light-cone distribution amplitude and flavor-nonsinglet generalized parton distributions.

Evolution of entanglement entropy in orbifold CFTs**Dedicated to John Cardy on his 70th birthday.

In this work we study the time evolution of the Rényi entanglement entropy for locally excited states created by twist operators in the cyclic orbifold and the symmetric orbifold . We find that when the square of its compactification radius is rational, the second Rényi entropy approaches a universal constant equal to the logarithm of the quantum dimension of the twist operator. On the other hand, in the non-rational case, we find a new scaling law for the Rényi entropies given by the double logarithm of time for the cyclic orbifold CFT.

Target mass effects in parton quasi-distributions

We study the impact of non-zero (and apparently large) value of the nucleon mass M on the shape of parton quasi-distributions Q(y,p3), in particular on its change with the change of the nucleon momentum p3. We observe that the usual target-mass corrections induced by the M-dependence of the twist-2 operators are rather small. Moreover, we show that within the framework based on parametrizations by transverse momentum dependent distribution functions (TMDs) these corrections are canceled by higher-twist contributions. We identify a novel source of kinematic target-mass dependence of TMDs and build models corrected for such dependence. We find that resulting changes may be safely neglected for p3≳2M.