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arXiv:1206.5395 · Physical Review Letters

Lower Bound on the Entropy of Boundaries and Junctions in ( 1+1 )-Dimensional Quantum Critical Systems

Daniel Harry Friedan, Anatoly Konechny, Cornelius Schmidt-Colinet

Published Oct 3, 2012• 19 citations
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Abstract

A lower bound is derived for the boundary entropy $s=\mathrm{ln}g$ of a ($1+1$)-dimensional quantum critical system with boundary under the conditions $c\ensuremath{\ge}1$ on the bulk conformal central charge and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}>(c\ensuremath{-}1)/12$ on the most relevant bulk scaling dimension. This is the first general restriction on the possible values of $g$ for bulk critical systems with $c\ensuremath{\ge}1$.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.109.140401

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A lower bound is derived for the boundary entropy s=lngs=\mathrm{ln}gs=lng of a (1+11+11+1)-dimensional quantum critical system with boundary under the conditions c\ensuremath≥1c\ensuremath{\ge}1c\ensuremath≥1 on the bulk conformal central charge and \ensuremathΔ1>(c\ensuremath−1)/12{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}>(c\ensuremath{-}1)/12\ensuremathΔ1​>(c\ensuremath−1)/12 on the most relevant bulk scaling dimension. This is the first general restriction on the possible values of ggg for bulk critical systems with c\ensuremath≥1c\ensuremath{\ge}1c\ensuremath≥1.
In this paper we develop further the linear functional method of deriving lower bounds on the boundary entropy of conformal boundary conditions in 1+1 dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). We show here how to use detailed knowledge of the bulk CFT spectrum. Applying the method to the Monster CFT with c=\bar c=24 we derive a lower bound s > - 3.02 x 10^{-19} on the boundary entropy s=ln g, and find compelling evidence that the optimal bound is s>= 0. We show that all g=1 branes must have the same low-lying boundary spectrum, which matches the spectrum of the known g=1 branes, suggesting that the known examples comprise all possible g=1 branes, and also suggesting that the bound s>= 0 holds not just for critical boundary conditions but for all boundary conditions in the Monster CFT. The same analysis applied to a second bulk CFT -- a certain c=2 Gaussian model -- yields a less strict bound, suggesting that the precise linear functional bound on s for the Monster CFT is exceptional.
Quantum many-body systems have a rich structure in the presence of boundaries. We study the ground states of conformal field theories (CFTs) and Lifshitz field theories in the presence of a boundary through the lens of the entanglement entropy. For a family of theories in general dimensions, we relate the universal terms in the entanglement entropy of the bulk theory with the corresponding terms for the theory with a boundary. This relation imposes a condition on certain boundary central charges. For example, in 2+12+12+1 dimensions, we show that the corner-induced logarithmic terms of free CFTs and certain Lifshitz theories are simply related to those that arise when the corner touches the boundary. We test our findings on the lattice, including a numerical implementation of Neumann boundary conditions. We also propose an ansatz, the boundary extensive mutual information model, for a CFT with a boundary whose entanglement entropy is purely geometrical. This model shows the same bulk-boundary connection as Dirac fermions and certain supersymmetric CFTs that have a holographic dual. Finally, we discuss how our results can be generalized to all dimensions as well as to massive quantum field theories.
The entanglement entropy for a quantum critical system across a boundary with a corner exhibits a subleading logarithmic scaling term with a scale-invariant coefficient. Using a Numerical Linked Cluster Expansion, we calculate this universal quantity for a square-lattice bilayer Heisenberg model at its quantum critical point. We find, for this 2 + 1 dimensional O (3) universality class, that it is thrice the value calculated previously for the Ising universality class. This relation gives substantial evidence that this coefficient provides a measure of the number of degrees of freedom of the theory, analogous to the central charge in a 1 + 1 dimensional conformal field theory.
Entanglement entropy scaling links geometry to quantum correlations and diagnoses quantum criticality. Fractal lattices extend this link to noninteger dimensions, where boundary and bulk dimensions are independent. It remains open which dimension governs entropy scaling and how strongly gap closing can enhance it. Nonlocal occupied-state projectors and the lack of translation symmetry obstruct standard methods. We overcome these obstacles and classify free-fermion entropy scaling with bounds set by the hopping across the subsystem boundary: an upper bound from its rank and the spectral gap, and a lower bound from how much it lowers the ground-state energy. With only negative-energy states filled and this energy lowering proportional to the boundary, the entanglement entropy obeys the boundary law SX=Θ(LXdb)S_X=Θ\left(L_X^{d_{\mathrm b}}\right)SX​=Θ(LXdb​​) under a uniform gap and satisfies LXdb≲SX≲LXdbln⁡LXL_X^{d_{\mathrm b}}\lesssim S_X\lesssim L_X^{d_{\mathrm b}}\ln L_XLXdb​​≲SX​≲LXdb​​lnLX​ when the gap closes no faster than algebraically. Here LXL_XLX​ is the subsystem linear size and dbd_{\mathrm b}db​ the boundary dimension. Half occupation of the chiral zero modes gives a mixed-state entropy SXmixS_X^{\mathrm{mix}}SXmix​ with max⁡{SX,zXln⁡2}⩽SXmix⩽SX+zXln⁡2\max\left\{S_X,z_X\ln2\right\}\leqslant S_X^{\mathrm{mix}}\leqslant S_X+z_X\ln2max{SX​,zX​ln2}⩽SXmix​⩽SX​+zX​ln2, where zXz_XzX​ is the local zero-mode weight; an extensive zXz_XzX​ thus makes SXmixS_X^{\mathrm{mix}}SXmix​ follow the bulk dimension.
The boundary entropy log(g) of a critical one-dimensional quantum system (or two-dimensional conformal field theory) is known to decrease under renormalization group (RG) flow of the boundary theory. We study instead the behavior of the boundary entropy as the bulk theory flows between two nearby critical points. We use conformal perturbation theory to calculate the change in g due to a slightly relevant bulk perturbation and find that it has no preferred sign. The boundary entropy log(g) can therefore increase during appropriate bulk flows. This is demonstrated explicitly in flows between minimal models. We discuss the applications of this result to D-branes in string theory and to impurity problems in condensed matter.
The boundary entropy log(g) of a critical one-dimensional quantum system (or two-dimensional conformal field theory) is known to decrease under renormalization group (RG) flow of the boundary theory. We study instead the behavior of the boundary entropy as the bulk theory flows between two nearby critical points. We use conformal perturbation theory to calculate the change in g due to a slightly relevant bulk perturbation and find that it has no preferred sign. The boundary entropy log(g) can therefore increase during appropriate bulk flows. This is demonstrated explicitly in flows between minimal models. We discuss the applications of this result to D-branes in string theory and to impurity problems in condensed matter.