Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2012.07757 · Journal of High Energy Physics

Lattice regularisation of a non-compact boundary conformal field theory

Niall Robertson, Jesper Lykke Jacobsen, Hubert Saleur

Published Feb 1, 2021• 20 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Non-compact Conformal Field Theories (CFTs) are central to several aspects of string theory and condensed matter physics. They are characterised, in particular, by the appearance of a continuum of conformal dimensions. Surprisingly, such CFTs have been identified as the continuum limits of lattice models with a finite number of degrees of freedom per site. However, results have so far been restricted to the case of periodic boundary conditions, precluding the exploration via lattice models of aspects of non-compact boundary CFTs and the corresponding D-brane constructions. The present paper follows a series of previous works on a ℤ2-staggered XXZ spin chain, whose continuum limit is known to be a non-compact CFT related with the Euclidian black hole sigma model. By using the relationship of this spin chain with an integrable $$ {D}_2^2 $$ D 2 2 vertex model, we here identify integrable boundary conditions that lead to a continuous spectrum of boundary exponents, and thus correspond to non-compact branes. In the context of the Potts model on a square lattice, they correspond to wired boundary conditions at the physical antiferromagnetic critical point. The relations with the boundary parafermion theories are discussed as well. We are also able to identify a boundary renormalisation group flow from the non-compact boundary conditions to the previously studied compact ones.

DOI
10.1007/jhep02(2021)180

Related papers

Finite-size spectrum of the staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions

Holger Frahm, Sascha Gehrmann

The finite-size spectrum of the critical staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions is studied. Similar to the case of periodic boundary conditions, we identify three different phases. In two of those, the underlying conformal field theory can be identified to be related to the twisted U(1) Kac-Moody algebra. In contrast, the finite size scaling in the third regime, whose critical behaviour with the (quasi-)periodic BCs is related to the 2d black hole CFTs possessing a non-compact degree of freedom, is more subtle. Here with antidiagonal BCs imposed, the corrections to the scaling of the ground state grow logarithmically with the system size, while the energy gaps appear to close logarithmically. Moreover, we obtain an explicit formula for the Q-operator which is useful for numerical implementation.

Nuclear Physics B•Aug 10, 2024•1 citation

Boundary conditions for the entanglement cut in two-dimensional conformal field theories

Ananda Roy, Sergei L. Lukyanov, Hubert Saleur

The entanglement spectra for a subsystem in a spin chain fine-tuned to a quantum-critical point contains signatures of the underlying quantum field theory that governs its low-energy properties. For an open chain with given boundary conditions described by a 2D conformal field theory~(CFT), the entanglement spectrum of the left/right half of the system coincides with a boundary CFT spectrum, where one of the boundary conditions arise due to the `entanglement cut'. The latter has been argued to be conformal and has been numerically found to be the `free' boundary condition for Ising, Potts and free boson theories. For these models, the `free' boundary condition for the lattice degree of freedom has a counterpart in the continuum theory. However, this is not true in general. Here, this question is analyzed for the unitary minimal models of 2D CFTs using the density matrix renormalization group technique. The entanglement spectra are computed for blocks of spins in open chains of A-type restricted solid-on-solid models with identical boundary conditions at the ends. The imposed boundary conditions are realized exactly for these lattice models due to their integrable nature. The obtained entanglement spectra are in good agreement with certain boundary CFT spectra. The boundary condition for the entanglement cut is found to be conformal and to coincide with the one with the highest boundary entropy. This identification enables determination of the exponents governing the unusual corrections to the entanglement entropy from the CFT partition functions. These are compared with numerical results.

arXiv:2503.12674•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Sep 10, 2025•1 citation

Finite size spectrum of the staggered six-vertex model with Uq($$ \mathfrak{sl} $$(2))-invariant boundary conditions

Holger Frahm, Sascha Gehrmann

Abstract The finite size spectrum of the critical ℤ2-staggered spin-1/2 XXZ model with quantum group invariant boundary conditions is studied. For a particular (self-dual) choice of the staggering the spectrum of conformal weights of this model has been recently been shown to have a continuous component, similar as in the model with periodic boundary conditions whose continuum limit has been found to be described in terms of the non-compact SU(2, ℝ)/U(1) Euclidean black hole conformal field theory (CFT). Here we show that the same is true for a range of the staggering parameter. In addition we find that levels from the discrete part of the spectrum of this CFT emerge as the anisotropy is varied. The finite size amplitudes of both the continuous and the discrete levels are related to the corresponding eigenvalues of a quasi-momentum operator which commutes with the Hamiltonian and the transfer matrix of the model.

arXiv:2111.00850•Journal of High Energy Physics•Jan 1, 2022•11 citations

Finite-size spectrum of the staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions

Holger Frahm, Sascha Gehrmann

The finite-size spectrum of the critical staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions is studied. Similar to the case of periodic boundary conditions, we identify three different phases. In two of those, the underlying conformal field theory can be identified to be related to the twisted $U(1)$ Kac-Moody algebra. In contrast, the finite size scaling in the third regime, whose critical behaviour with the (quasi-)periodic BCs is related to the 2d black hole CFTs possessing a non-compact degree of freedom, is more subtle. Here with antidiagonal BCs imposed, the corrections to the scaling of the ground state grow logarithmically with the system size, while the energy gaps appear to close logarithmically. Moreover, we obtain an explicit formula for the Q-operator which is useful for numerical implementation.

arXiv:2405.20919•May 31, 2024•0 citations

Quantum-group-invariant $$ {D}_{n+1}^{(2)} $$ models: Bethe ansatz and finite-size spectrum

Holger Frahm, Sascha Gehrmann, Rafael I. Nepomechie +1 more

A bstract We consider the quantum integrable spin chain models associated with the Jimbo R-matrix based on the quantum affine algebra $$ {D}_{n+1}^{(2)} $$ D n + 1 2 , subject to quantum-group-invariant boundary conditions parameterized by two discrete variables p = 0, . . . , n and ε = 0, 1. We develop the analytical Bethe ansatz for the previously unexplored case ε = 1 with any n , and use it to investigate the effects of different boundary conditions on the finite-size spectrum of the quantum spin chain based on the rank-2 algebra $$ {D}_3^{(2)} $$ D 3 2 . Previous work on this model with periodic boundary conditions has shown that it is critical for the range of anisotropy parameters 0 < γ < π /4, where its scaling limit is described by a non-compact CFT with continuous degrees of freedom related to two copies of the 2D black hole sigma model. The scaling limit of the model with quantum-group-invariant boundary conditions depends on the parameter ε : similarly as in the rank-1 $$ {D}_2^{(2)} $$ D 2 2 chain, we find that the symmetry of the lattice model is spontaneously broken, and the spectrum of conformal weights has both discrete and continuous components, for ε = 1. For p = 1, the latter coincides with that of the $$ {D}_2^{(2)} $$ D 2 2 chain, which should correspond to a non-compact brane related to one black hole CFT in the presence of boundaries. For ε = 0, the spectrum of conformal weights is purely discrete.

arXiv:2509.00610•Journal of High Energy Physics•Dec 16, 2025•0 citations

$$ {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 $$-invariant non-compact boundary conditions for the XXZ spin chain

Dmitry Chernyak, Azat M. Gainutdinov, Hubert Saleur

A bstract We introduce new $$ {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 $$ U q sl 2 -invariant boundary conditions for the open XXZ spin chain. For generic values of $$ \mathfrak{q} $$ q we couple the bulk Hamiltonian to an infinite-dimensional Verma module on one or both boundaries of the spin chain, and for $$ \mathfrak{q}={e}^{\frac{i\pi}{p}} $$ q = e iπ p a 2 p -th root of unity — to its p -dimensional analogue. Both cases are parametrised by a continuous “spin” α ∈ ℂ. To motivate our construction, we first specialise to $$ \mathfrak{q} $$ q = i , where we obtain a modified XX Hamiltonian with unrolled quantum group symmetry, whose spectrum and scaling limit is computed explicitly using free fermions. In the continuum, this model is identified with the ( η, ξ ) ghost CFT on the upper-half plane with a continuum of conformally invariant boundary conditions on the real axis. The different sectors of the Hamiltonian are identified with irreducible Virasoro representations. Going back to generic q we investigate the algebraic properties of the underlying lattice algebras. We show that if $$ \mathfrak{q} $$ q α ∉ ± $$ \mathfrak{q} $$ q ℤ , the new boundary coupling provides a faithful representation of the blob algebra which is Schur-Weyl dual to $$ {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 $$ U q sl 2 . Then, modifying the boundary conditions on both the left and the right, we obtain a representation of the universal two-boundary Temperley-Lieb algebra. The generators and parameters of these representations are computed explicitly in terms of $$ \mathfrak{q} $$ q and α . Finally, we conjecture the general form of the Schur-Weyl duality in this case. This paper is the first in a series where we will study, at all values of the parameters, the spectrum and its continuum limit, the representation content of the relevant lattice algebras and the fusion properties of these new spin chains.

Journal of High Energy Physics•Nov 4, 2022•6 citations
Abstract Non-compact Conformal Field Theories (CFTs) are central to several aspects of string theory and condensed matter physics. They are characterised, in particular, by the appearance of a continuum of conformal dimensions. Surprisingly, such CFTs have been identified as the continuum limits of lattice models with a finite number of degrees of freedom per site. However, results have so far been restricted to the case of periodic boundary conditions, precluding the exploration via lattice models of aspects of non-compact boundary CFTs and the corresponding D-brane constructions. The present paper follows a series of previous works on a ℤ2-staggered XXZ spin chain, whose continuum limit is known to be a non-compact CFT related with the Euclidian black hole sigma model. By using the relationship of this spin chain with an integrable D22{D}_2^2D22​ D 2 2 vertex model, we here identify integrable boundary conditions that lead to a continuous spectrum of boundary exponents, and thus correspond to non-compact branes. In the context of the Potts model on a square lattice, they correspond to wired boundary conditions at the physical antiferromagnetic critical point. The relations with the boundary parafermion theories are discussed as well. We are also able to identify a boundary renormalisation group flow from the non-compact boundary conditions to the previously studied compact ones.
The finite-size spectrum of the critical staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions is studied. Similar to the case of periodic boundary conditions, we identify three different phases. In two of those, the underlying conformal field theory can be identified to be related to the twisted U(1) Kac-Moody algebra. In contrast, the finite size scaling in the third regime, whose critical behaviour with the (quasi-)periodic BCs is related to the 2d black hole CFTs possessing a non-compact degree of freedom, is more subtle. Here with antidiagonal BCs imposed, the corrections to the scaling of the ground state grow logarithmically with the system size, while the energy gaps appear to close logarithmically. Moreover, we obtain an explicit formula for the Q-operator which is useful for numerical implementation.
The entanglement spectra for a subsystem in a spin chain fine-tuned to a quantum-critical point contains signatures of the underlying quantum field theory that governs its low-energy properties. For an open chain with given boundary conditions described by a 2D conformal field theory~(CFT), the entanglement spectrum of the left/right half of the system coincides with a boundary CFT spectrum, where one of the boundary conditions arise due to the `entanglement cut'. The latter has been argued to be conformal and has been numerically found to be the `free' boundary condition for Ising, Potts and free boson theories. For these models, the `free' boundary condition for the lattice degree of freedom has a counterpart in the continuum theory. However, this is not true in general. Here, this question is analyzed for the unitary minimal models of 2D CFTs using the density matrix renormalization group technique. The entanglement spectra are computed for blocks of spins in open chains of A-type restricted solid-on-solid models with identical boundary conditions at the ends. The imposed boundary conditions are realized exactly for these lattice models due to their integrable nature. The obtained entanglement spectra are in good agreement with certain boundary CFT spectra. The boundary condition for the entanglement cut is found to be conformal and to coincide with the one with the highest boundary entropy. This identification enables determination of the exponents governing the unusual corrections to the entanglement entropy from the CFT partition functions. These are compared with numerical results.
Finite size spectrum of the staggered six-vertex model with Uq(sl \mathfrak{sl} sl(2))-invariant boundary conditions
Abstract The finite size spectrum of the critical ℤ2-staggered spin-1/2 XXZ model with quantum group invariant boundary conditions is studied. For a particular (self-dual) choice of the staggering the spectrum of conformal weights of this model has been recently been shown to have a continuous component, similar as in the model with periodic boundary conditions whose continuum limit has been found to be described in terms of the non-compact SU(2, ℝ)/U(1) Euclidean black hole conformal field theory (CFT). Here we show that the same is true for a range of the staggering parameter. In addition we find that levels from the discrete part of the spectrum of this CFT emerge as the anisotropy is varied. The finite size amplitudes of both the continuous and the discrete levels are related to the corresponding eigenvalues of a quasi-momentum operator which commutes with the Hamiltonian and the transfer matrix of the model.
The finite-size spectrum of the critical staggered six-vertex model with antidiagonal boundary conditions is studied. Similar to the case of periodic boundary conditions, we identify three different phases. In two of those, the underlying conformal field theory can be identified to be related to the twisted U(1)U(1)U(1) Kac-Moody algebra. In contrast, the finite size scaling in the third regime, whose critical behaviour with the (quasi-)periodic BCs is related to the 2d black hole CFTs possessing a non-compact degree of freedom, is more subtle. Here with antidiagonal BCs imposed, the corrections to the scaling of the ground state grow logarithmically with the system size, while the energy gaps appear to close logarithmically. Moreover, we obtain an explicit formula for the Q-operator which is useful for numerical implementation.
Quantum-group-invariant Dn+1(2) {D}_{n+1}^{(2)} Dn+1(2)​ models: Bethe ansatz and finite-size spectrum
A bstract We consider the quantum integrable spin chain models associated with the Jimbo R-matrix based on the quantum affine algebra Dn+1(2) {D}_{n+1}^{(2)} Dn+1(2)​ D n + 1 2 , subject to quantum-group-invariant boundary conditions parameterized by two discrete variables p = 0, . . . , n and ε = 0, 1. We develop the analytical Bethe ansatz for the previously unexplored case ε = 1 with any n , and use it to investigate the effects of different boundary conditions on the finite-size spectrum of the quantum spin chain based on the rank-2 algebra D3(2) {D}_3^{(2)} D3(2)​ D 3 2 . Previous work on this model with periodic boundary conditions has shown that it is critical for the range of anisotropy parameters 0 < γ < π /4, where its scaling limit is described by a non-compact CFT with continuous degrees of freedom related to two copies of the 2D black hole sigma model. The scaling limit of the model with quantum-group-invariant boundary conditions depends on the parameter ε : similarly as in the rank-1 D2(2) {D}_2^{(2)} D2(2)​ D 2 2 chain, we find that the symmetry of the lattice model is spontaneously broken, and the spectrum of conformal weights has both discrete and continuous components, for ε = 1. For p = 1, the latter coincides with that of the D2(2) {D}_2^{(2)} D2(2)​ D 2 2 chain, which should correspond to a non-compact brane related to one black hole CFT in the presence of boundaries. For ε = 0, the spectrum of conformal weights is purely discrete.
Uqsl2 {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 Uq​sl2​-invariant non-compact boundary conditions for the XXZ spin chain
A bstract We introduce new Uqsl2 {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 Uq​sl2​ U q sl 2 -invariant boundary conditions for the open XXZ spin chain. For generic values of q \mathfrak{q} q q we couple the bulk Hamiltonian to an infinite-dimensional Verma module on one or both boundaries of the spin chain, and for q=eiπp \mathfrak{q}={e}^{\frac{i\pi}{p}} q=epiπ​ q = e iπ p a 2 p -th root of unity — to its p -dimensional analogue. Both cases are parametrised by a continuous “spin” α ∈ ℂ. To motivate our construction, we first specialise to q \mathfrak{q} q q = i , where we obtain a modified XX Hamiltonian with unrolled quantum group symmetry, whose spectrum and scaling limit is computed explicitly using free fermions. In the continuum, this model is identified with the ( η, ξ ) ghost CFT on the upper-half plane with a continuum of conformally invariant boundary conditions on the real axis. The different sectors of the Hamiltonian are identified with irreducible Virasoro representations. Going back to generic q we investigate the algebraic properties of the underlying lattice algebras. We show that if q \mathfrak{q} q q α ∉ ± q \mathfrak{q} q q ℤ , the new boundary coupling provides a faithful representation of the blob algebra which is Schur-Weyl dual to Uqsl2 {U}_{\mathfrak{q}}{\mathfrak{sl}}_2 Uq​sl2​ U q sl 2 . Then, modifying the boundary conditions on both the left and the right, we obtain a representation of the universal two-boundary Temperley-Lieb algebra. The generators and parameters of these representations are computed explicitly in terms of q \mathfrak{q} q q and α . Finally, we conjecture the general form of the Schur-Weyl duality in this case. This paper is the first in a series where we will study, at all values of the parameters, the spectrum and its continuum limit, the representation content of the relevant lattice algebras and the fusion properties of these new spin chains.