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arXiv:1912.11201 · Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

Entanglement branes and factorization in conformal field theory

Ling-Yan Hung, Gabriel Wong

Published Jul 27, 2021• 32 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In this work, we consider the question of local Hilbert space factorization in 2D conformal field theory. Generalizing previous work on entanglement and open-closed TQFT, we interpret the factorization of CFT states in terms of path integral processes that split and join the Hilbert spaces of circles and intervals. More abstractly, these processes are cobordisms of an extended CFT which are defined purely in terms of the OPE data. In addition to the usual sewing axioms, we impose an entanglement boundary condition that is satisfied by the vacuum Ishibashi state. This choice of entanglement boundary state leads to reduced density matrices that sum over super-selection sectors, which we identify as the CFT edge modes. Finally, we relate our factorization map to the coproduct formula for the CFT symmetry algebra, which we show is equivalent to a Boguliubov transformation in the case of a free boson.

DOI
10.1103/physrevd.104.026012

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In this work, we consider the question of local Hilbert space factorization in 2D conformal field theory. Generalizing previous work on entanglement and open-closed TQFT, we interpret the factorization of CFT states in terms of path integral processes that split and join the Hilbert spaces of circles and intervals. More abstractly, these processes are cobordisms of an extended CFT which are defined purely in terms of the OPE data. In addition to the usual sewing axioms, we impose an entanglement boundary condition that is satisfied by the vacuum Ishibashi state. This choice of entanglement boundary state leads to reduced density matrices that sum over super-selection sectors, which we identify as the CFT edge modes. Finally, we relate our factorization map to the coproduct formula for the CFT symmetry algebra, which we show is equivalent to a Boguliubov transformation in the case of a free boson.
Progress in identifying the bulk microstate interpretation of the Ryu-Takayanagi formula requires understanding how to define entanglement entropy in the bulk closed string theory. Unfortunately, entanglement and Hilbert space factorization remains poorly understood in string theory. As a toy model for AdS/CFT, we study the entanglement entropy of closed strings in the topological A-model in the context of Gopakumar-Vafa duality. We will present our results in two separate papers. In this work, we consider the bulk closed string theory on the resolved conifold and give a self-consistent factorization of the closed string Hilbert space using extended TQFT methods. We incorporate our factorization map into a Frobenius algebra describing the fusion and splitting of Calabi-Yau manifolds, and find string edge modes transforming under a qqq-deformed surface symmetry group. We define a string theory analogue of the Hartle-Hawking state and give a canonical calculation of its entanglement entropy from the reduced density matrix. Our result matches with the geometrical replica trick calculation on the resolved conifold, as well as a dual Chern-Simons theory calculation which will appear in our next paper \cite{secondpaper}. We find a realization of the Susskind-Uglum proposal identifying the entanglement entropy of closed strings with the thermal entropy of open strings ending on entanglement branes. We also comment on the BPS microstate counting of the entanglement entropy. Finally we relate the nonlocal aspects of our factorization map to analogous phenomenon recently found in JT gravity.
Abstract Progress in identifying the bulk microstate interpretation of the Ryu-Takayanagi formula requires understanding how to define entanglement entropy in the bulk closed string theory. Unfortunately, entanglement and Hilbert space factorization remains poorly understood in string theory. As a toy model for AdS/CFT, we study the entanglement entropy of closed strings in the topological A-model in the context of Gopakumar-Vafa duality. We will present our results in two separate papers. In this work, we consider the bulk closed string theory on the resolved conifold and give a self-consistent factorization of the closed string Hilbert space using extended TQFT methods. We incorporate our factorization map into a Frobenius algebra describing the fusion and splitting of Calabi-Yau manifolds, and find string edge modes transforming under a q-deformed surface symmetry group. We define a string theory analogue of the Hartle-Hawking state and give a canonical calculation of its entanglement entropy from the reduced density matrix. Our result matches with the geometrical replica trick calculation on the resolved conifold, as well as a dual Chern-Simons theory calculation which will appear in our next paper [1]. We find a realization of the Susskind-Uglum proposal identifying the entanglement entropy of closed strings with the thermal entropy of open strings ending on entanglement branes. We also comment on the BPS microstate counting of the entanglement entropy. Finally we relate the nonlocal aspects of our factorization map to analogous phenomenon recently found in JT gravity.
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}_2 ℤ 2 symmetry.
A bstract Entanglement is analyzed in the Majorana fermion conformal field theory (CFT) in the vacuum, in the fermion state, and in states built from conformal interfaces. In the boundary-state approach, the Hilbert space admits two factorizations for a single interval, producing distinct entanglement spectra determined by spin structures. Although Rényi and relative entropies are shown to be insensitive to these structures, symmetry-resolved entanglement naturally reveals their differences. The Majorana fermion’s Z2F {\mathbb{Z}}_2^F Z2F​ ℤ 2 F symmetry, generated by the fermion-parity operator (−1) F , distinguishes bosonic from fermionic sectors, motivating the notion of fermion-parity resolution. While Z2F {\mathbb{Z}}_2^F Z2F​ ℤ 2 F is naturally a symmetry of the vacuum and fermion reduced density matrices, the Hilbert space factorization is shown to stabilize this symmetry in conformal interface states. When an unpaired Majorana zero mode is present, fermion-parity-resolved entropies display equipartition at all orders in the UV cutoff; in its absence, the breaking of equipartition is quantified by Ramond-sector data. This behavior persists across all states considered. Connections with symmetry-protected topological phases of matter are outlined. All results are compared with twist field computations.
A bstract In this work, we study the universal total and symmetry-resolved entanglement spectra for a single interval of some 2d Fermionic CFTs using the Boundary Conformal Field theory (BCFT) approach. In this approach, the partition of Hilbert space is achieved by cutting out discs around the entangling boundary points and imposing boundary conditions preserving the extended symmetry under scrutiny. The reduced density moments are then related to the BCFT partition functions and are also found to be diagonal in the symmetry charge sectors. In particular, we first study the entanglement spectra of massless Dirac fermion and modular invariant Z 2 -gauged Dirac fermion by considering the boundary conditions preserving either the axial or the vector U(1) symmetry. The total entanglement spectra of the modular invariant Z 2 -gauged Dirac fermion are shown to match with the compact boson result at the compactification radius where the Bose-Fermi duality holds, while for the massless Dirac fermion, it is found that the boundary entropy term doesn’t match with the self-dual compact boson. The symmetry-resolved entanglement is found to be the same in all cases, except for the charge spectrum which is dependent on both the symmetry and the theory. We also study the entanglement spectra of N massless Dirac fermions by considering boundary conditions preserving different chiral U(1) N symmetries. Entanglement spectra are studied for U(1) M subgroups, where M ≤ N , by imposing boundary conditions preserving different chiral symmetries. The total entanglement spectra are found to be sensitive to the representations of the U(1) M symmetry in the boundary theory among other behaviours at O (1). Similar results are also found for the Symmetry resolved entanglement entropies. The characteristic log log ( ℓ / ϵ ) term of the U(1) symmetry is found to be proportional to M in the symmetry-resolved entanglement spectra.
Entanglement through interfaces has attracted considerable attention in 2d conformal field theory (CFT). However, it is known that field-theoretic predictions based on the existing framework are in general incompatible with numerical results [1-4]. A new framework for entanglement through topological defects was recently proposed in [5]. It provides a general description of entanglement through topological defects and successfully reproduces the numerical results for the Ising model in all tested cases and regimes. The key insight is that the relevant quantum correlations are encoded in twisted states, allowing for the construction of the full reduced density matrix (RDM). In this work we pursue two objectives. First, we provide new examples by studying defects in the free boson CFT. Second, we extend the framework to topological interfaces connecting two, possibly distinct, CFTs. Of particular interest are interfaces relating dual theories. We show that the reduced density matrix for a duality interface is the projection of the vacuum reduced density matrix onto a single symmetry sector, closely paralleling the framework of symmetry resolution. Unlike symmetry resolution, however, the projection is imposed by the physical interface itself, demonstrating that duality interfaces reflect quantum correlations back into the entangling interval. We establish this mechanism for diagonal and non-diagonal rational CFTs as well as the free boson CFT. Relative entropy allows us to quantify the distinguishability of the duality interface RDM from the vacuum RDM.