Two-dimensional Conformal Field Theory Research Articles

Scrambling and recovery of quantum information in inhomogeneous quenches in two-dimensional conformal field theories

Scrambling and recovery of quantum information in inhomogeneous quenches in two-dimensional conformal field theories

Pseudoentropy for descendant operators in two-dimensional conformal field theories

Pseudoentropy for descendant operators in two-dimensional conformal field theories

Self-duality under gauging a non-invertible symmetry

We discuss two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) which are invariant under gauging a non-invertible global symmetry. At every point on the orbifold branch of c = 1 CFTs, it is known that the theory is self-dual under gauging a ℤ2 × ℤ2 symmetry, and has Rep(H8) and Rep(D8) fusion category symmetries as a result. We find that gauging the entire Rep(H8) fusion category symmetry maps the orbifold theory at radius R to that at radius 2/R. At R = 2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{2} $$\\end{document}, which corresponds to two decoupled Ising CFTs (Ising2 in short), the theory is self-dual under gauging the Rep(H8) symmetry. This implies the existence of a topological defect line in the Ising2 CFT obtained from half-space gauging of the Rep(H8) symmetry, which commutes with the c = 1 Virasoro algebra but does not preserve the fully extended chiral algebra. We bootstrap its action on the c = 1 Virasoro primary operators, and find that there are no relevant or marginal operators preserving it. Mathematically, the new topological line combines with the Rep(H8) symmetry to form a bigger fusion category which is a ℤ2-extension of Rep(H8). We solve the pentagon equations including the additional topological line and find 8 solutions, where two of them are realized in the Ising2 CFT. Finally, we show that the torus partition functions of the Monster2 CFT and Ising×Monster CFT are also invariant under gauging the Rep(H8) symmetry.

Symmetries and spectral statistics in chaotic conformal field theories. Part II. Maass cusp forms and arithmetic chaos

We continue the study of random matrix universality in two-dimensional conformal field theories. This is facilitated by expanding the spectral form factor in a basis of modular invariant eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on the fundamental domain. The focus of this paper is on the discrete part of the spectrum, which consists of the Maass cusp forms. Both their eigenvalues and Fourier coefficients are sporadic discrete numbers with interesting statistical properties and relations to analytic number theory; this is referred to as ‘arithmetic chaos’. We show that the near-extremal spectral form factor at late times is only sensitive to a statistical average over these erratic features. Nevertheless, complete information about their statistical distributions is encoded in the spectral form factor if all its spin sectors exhibit universal random matrix eigenvalue repulsion (a ‘linear ramp’). We ‘bootstrap’ the spectral correlations between the cusp form basis functions that correspond to a universal linear ramp and show that they are unique up to theory-dependent subleading corrections. The statistical treatment of cusp forms provides a natural avenue to fix the subleading corrections in a minimal way, which we observe leads to the same correlations as those described by the [torus]×[interval] wormhole amplitude in AdS3 gravity.

Wightman Fields for Two-Dimensional Conformal Field Theories with Pointed Representation Category

Two-dimensional full conformal field theories have been studied in various mathematical frameworks, from algebraic, operator-algebraic to categorical. In this work, we focus our attention on theories with chiral components having pointed braided tensor representation subcategories, namely having automorphisms whose equivalence classes necessarily form an abelian group. For such theories, we exhibit the explicit Hilbert space structure and construct primary fields as Wightman fields for the two-dimensional full theory. Given a finite collection of chiral components with automorphism categories with trivial total braiding, we also construct a local extension of their tensor product as a chiral component. We clarify the relations with the Longo–Rehren construction, and illustrate these results with concrete examples including the U(1)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ extrm{U}}(1)$$\\end{document}-current.

Topological defect lines in two dimensional fermionic CFTs

We consider topological defect lines (TDLs) in two-dimensional fermionic conformal field theories (CFTs). Besides inheriting all the properties of TDLs in bosonic CFTs, TDLs in fermionic CFTs could host fermionic defect operators at their endpoints and junctions. Furthermore, there is a new type of TDLs, called q-type TDLs, that have no analog in bosonic CFTs. Their distinguishing feature is an extra one-dimensional Majorana fermion living on the worldline of the TDLs. The properties of TDLs in fermionic CFTs are captured in the mathematical language of the super fusion category. We propose a classification of the rank-2 super fusion categories generalizing the \mathbb{Z}_8ℤ8 classification for the anomalies of \mathbb{Z}_2ℤ2 symmetries. We explicitly solve the F-moves for all the nontrivial categories, and derive the corresponding spin selection rules that constrain the spectrum of the defect operators. We find the full set of TDLs in the standard fermionic minimal models and a partial set of TDLs in the two exceptional models, which give CFT realizations to the rank-2 super fusion categories. Finally, we discuss a constraint on the renormalization group flow that preserves a q-type TDL.

Euclidean wormholes in two-dimensional conformal field theories from quantum chaos and number theory

Euclidean wormholes in two-dimensional conformal field theories from quantum chaos and number theory

Entanglement entropy in conformal quantum mechanics

We consider sets of states in conformal quantum mechanics associated to generators of time evolution whose orbits cover different regions of the time domain. States labelled by a continuous global time variable define the two-point correlation functions of the theory seen as a one-dimensional conformal field theory. Such states exhibit the structure of a thermofield double built on bipartite eigenstates of generators of non-global time evolution. In terms of the correspondence between radial conformal symmetries in Minkowski space-time and time evolution in conformal quantum mechanics proposed in [1, 2] these generators coincide with conformal Killing vectors tangent to worldlines of Milne and diamond observers at constant radius. The temperature of the thermofield double states in conformal quantum mechanics reproduces the temperatures perceived by such diamond and Milne observers. We calculate the entanglement entropy associated to the thermofield double states and obtain a UV divergent logarithmic behaviour analogous to known results in two-dimensional conformal field theory in which the entangling boundary is point-like.

Holographic quantum scars

We discuss a construction of quantum many-body scars in the context of holography. We consider two-dimensional conformal field theories and use their dynamical symmetries, naturally realized through the Virasoro algebra, to construct scarred states. By studying their Loschmidt amplitude, we evaluate the states’ periodic properties. A geometrical interpretation allows us to compute the expectation value of the stress tensor and entanglement entropy of these scarred states. We show that their holographic dual is related by a diffeomorphism to empty AdS, even for energies above the black hole threshold. We also demonstrate that expectation values in the scarred states are generally non-thermal and that their entanglement entropy grows with the energy as \log(E)log(E) in contrast to \sqrt{E}E for the typical (bulk) states. Furthermore, we identify fixed points on the CFT plane associated with divergent or vanishing entanglement entropy in the limit where the scarred states have infinite energy.

On the boundary conformal field theory approach to symmetry-resolved entanglement

We study the symmetry resolution of the entanglement entropy of an interval in two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs), by relating the bipartition to the geometry of an annulus with conformal boundary conditions. In the presence of extended symmetries such as Kac-Moody type current algebrae, symmetry resolution is possible only if the boundary conditions on the annulus preserve part of the symmetry group, i.e. if the factorization map associated with the spatial bipartition is compatible with the symmetry in question. The partition function of the boundary CFT (BCFT) is then decomposed in terms of the characters of the irreducible representations of the symmetry group preserved by the boundary conditions. We demonstrate that this decomposition already provides the symmetry resolution of the entanglement spectrum of the corresponding bipartition. Considering the various terms of the partition function associated with the same representation, or charge sector, the symmetry-resolved Rényi entropies can be derived to all orders in the UV cutoff expansion without the need to compute the charged moments. We apply this idea to the theory of a free massless boson with U(1)U(1), \mathbb{R}ℝ and \mathbb{Z}_2ℤ2 symmetry.

Entanglement and geometry from subalgebras of the Virasoro algebra

In this work we study families of generalised coherent states constructed from SL(2,R) subalgebras of the Virasoro algebra in two-dimensional conformal field theories. We derive the energy density and entanglement entropy and discuss their equivalence with analogous quantities computed in locally excited states. Moreover, we analyze their dual, holographic geometries and reproduce entanglement entropies from the Ryu-Takayanagi prescription. Finally, we outline possible applications of this universal class of states to operator growth and inhomogeneous quenches.

Time-like entanglement entropy in AdS/BCFT

We study the entanglement entropy for time-like subsystem in two-dimensional boundary conformal field theory (BCFT) both from the field theory and holographic point of view. In field theory, we compute the time-like entanglement entropy of a pure time-like interval at zero and finite temperature using the replica technique and analytical continuation. We find that, similar to the ordinary space-like entanglement entropy in BCFT, the time-like entropy also has a bulk phase and a boundary phase which corresponds respectively to the dominance of the identity block in the bulk and boundary OPE channels. However, we find that in Lorentzian BCFT, the time-like entanglement entropy posses a third Regge phase which arises in the Regge limit of the interval, when one endpoint of the time interval approaches the light cone of the mirror image of the other endpoint. We determine the phase diagram for the time-like entanglement entropy. We find that while the time-like entropy is complex in the bulk phase and has a boundary term in the boundary phase, there is no boundary entropy in the Regge phase. Moreover, it can be real or complex depending on which side the Regge limit is approached from. On the gravity side, we obtain the holographic time-like entanglement entropy from the corresponding bulk dual geometries and find exact agreement with the field theory results. The time-like entanglement entropy may be useful to describe the entanglement of a quantum dot on a half line.

Two-dimensional conformal field theory, full vertex algebra and current-current deformation

The main purpose of this paper is a mathematical construction of non-perturbative deformations of two-dimensional conformal field theories.We introduce the notion of a full vertex algebra which formulates a compact two-dimensional conformal field theory. Then, we construct a deformation family of full vertex algebras which serves as a current-current deformation of conformal field theory in physics. The parameter space of the deformations is expressed as a quotient of an orthogonal Grassmannian. This parameter space is a part of the CFT moduli space expected in physics. We demonstrate that nontrivial quotients of Grassmannians are obtained from holomorphic vertex operator algebras of central charge 24.

Subfactors and mathematical physics

This paper surveys the long-standing connections and impact between Vaughan Jones’s theory of subfactors and various topics in mathematical physics, namely statistical mechanics, quantum field theory, quantum information, and two-dimensional conformal field theory.

The shadow formalism of Galilean CFT2

In this work, we develop the shadow formalism for two-dimensional Galilean conformal field theory (GCFT2). We define the principal series representation of Galilean conformal symmetry group and find its relation with the Wigner classification, then we determine the shadow transform of local operators. Using this formalism we derive the OPE blocks, Clebsch-Gordan kernels, conformal blocks and conformal partial waves. A new feature is that the conformal block admits additional branch points, which would destroy the convergence of OPE for certain parameters. We establish another inversion formula different from the previous one, but get the same result when decomposing the four-point functions in the mean field theory (MFT). We also construct a continuous series of bilocal actions of MFT, and an exceptional series of local actions, one of which is the BMS free scalar model. We notice that there is an outer automorphism of the Galilean conformal symmetry, and the GCFT2 can be regarded as null defect in higher dimensional CFTs.

Universal thermal corrections to symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy and full counting statistics

In the presence of a global symmetry, the entanglement entropy of a quantum system can be decomposed among the individual symmetry sectors, dubbed symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy. For a conformal field theory with Abelian symmetry, it obeys the equipartition theorem in the scaling limit, i.e., at the leading order, the entanglement is distributed equally between different symmetry sectors. In this work, we examine the thermal corrections to a single interval symmetry-resolved Rényi and entanglement entropies for two-dimensional conformal field theories on a circle. Using a low-temperature expansion of the thermal density matrix, we find that in addition to the mass gap and the degeneracy of the first excited state, these universal corrections depend also on the four-point correlation function of the primary fields. We also obtain thermal corrections to the full counting statistics of the ground state and define the probability fluctuations function which scales as {e}^{-2pi {Delta}_{psi}beta /L} , where ∆ψ is the scaling dimension of the lowest weight states. As an example, we explicitly evaluate the thermal corrections to the symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy and FCS for the spinless fermions and find a term breaking entanglement equipartition at order (log l)−2.

Probabilistic construction of Toda Conformal Field Theories

Following the 1984 seminal work of Belavin, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov on two-dimensional conformal field theories, Toda conformal field theories were introduced in the physics literature as a family of two-dimensional conformal field theories that enjoy, in addition to conformal symmetry, an extended level of symmetry usually referred to as W-symmetry or higher-spin symmetry. More precisely Toda conformal field theories provide a natural way to associate to a finite-dimensional simple and complex Lie algebra a conformal field theory for which the algebra of symmetry contains the Virasoro algebra. In this document we use the path integral formulation of these models to provide a rigorous mathematical construction of Toda conformal field theories based on probability theory. By doing so we recover expected properties of the theory such as the Weyl anomaly formula with respect to the change of background metric by a conformal factor and the existence of Seiberg bounds for the correlation functions.

Boundary and bulk notions of transport in the AdS3/CFT2 correspondence

We construct operators in holographic two-dimensional conformal field theory, which act locally in the code subspace as arbitrary bulk spacelike vector fields. Key to the construction is an interplay between parallel transport in the bulk spacetime and in kinematic space. We outline challenges, which arise when the same construction is extended to timelike vector fields. We also sketch several applications, including boundary formulations of the bulk Riemann tensor, dreibein, and spin connection, as well as an application to holographic complexity.

Information metric on the boundary

The information metric on the space of boundary coupling constants in two-dimensional conformal field theories is studied. Such a metric is related to the Casimir energy difference of the theory defined on an interval. We concretely compute the information metric on the boundary conformal manifold of free boson CFT as well as SU(2)k WZW theory, obtaining the result expected from the symmetry of the systems. We also compute the information metric on the space of non-conformal boundary states produced by boundary mass perturbations in the theory of a real free scalar. The holographic dual of the boundary information metric in the context of AdS3/BCFT2 is also discussed. We argue that it corresponds to the area of the minimal cross section of the end-of-the-world brane connecting two boundaries of the asymptotic BCFTs.

Decomposition, trivially-acting symmetries, and topological operators

Trivially-acting symmetries in two-dimensional conformal field theory include twist fields of dimension zero which are local topological operators. We investigate the consequences of regarding these operators as part of the global symmetry of the theory. That is, we regard such a symmetry as a mix of topological defect lines (TDLs) and topological point operators (TPOs). TDLs related by a trivially-acting symmetry can join at a TPO to form non-trivial two-way junctions. Upon gauging, the local operators at those junctions can become vacua in a disjoint union of theories. Examining the behavior of the TPOs under gauging therefore allows us to refine decomposition by tracking the trivially-acting symmetries of each universe. Mixed anomalies between the TDLs and TPOs provide discrete torsion-like phases for the partition functions of these orbifolds, modifying the resulting decomposition. This framework also readily allows for the consideration of trivially-acting non-invertible symmetries.