We study criteria for and properties of boundary-to-boundary holography in a class of spin network states defined by analogy to projected entangled pair states (PEPS). In particular, we consider superpositions of states corresponding to well-defined, discrete geometries on a graph. By applying random tensor averaging techniques, we map entropy calculations to a random Ising model on the same graph, with distribution of couplings determined by the relative sizes of the involved geometries. The superposition of tensor network states with variable bond dimension used here presents a picture of a genuine quantum sum over geometric backgrounds. We find that, whenever each individual geometry produces an isometric mapping of a fixed boundary region C to its complement, then their superposition does so iff the relative weight going into each geometry is inversely proportional to its size. Additionally, we calculate average and variance of the area of the given boundary region and find that the average is bounded from below and above by the mean and sum of the individual areas, respectively. Finally, we give an outlook on possible extensions to our program and highlight conceptual limitations to implementing these.
We study criteria for and properties of boundary-to-boundary holography in a class of spin network states defined by analogy to projected entangled pair states (PEPS). In particular, we consider superpositions of states corresponding to well-defined, discrete geometries on a graph. By applying random tensor averaging techniques, we map entropy calculations to a random Ising model on the same graph, with distribution of couplings determined by the relative sizes of the involved geometries. The superposition of tensor network states with variable bond dimension used here presents a picture of a genuine quantum sum over geometric backgrounds. We find that, whenever each individual geometry produces an isometric mapping of a fixed boundary region C to its complement, then their superposition does so iff the relative weight going into each geometry is inversely proportional to its size. Additionally, we calculate average and variance of the area of the given boundary region and find that the average is bounded from below and above by the mean and sum of the individual areas, respectively. Finally, we give an outlook on possible extensions to our program and highlight conceptual limitations to implementing these.
We study the holographic properties of a class of quantum geometry states characterized by a superposition of discrete geometric data, in the form of generalized tensor networks. This class specifically includes spin networks, the kinematic states of lattice gauge theory, and discrete quantum gravity. We employ an algebraic, operatorial definition of holography based on quantum information channels, an approach which is particularly valuable in settings, such as the one we consider, where the relevant Hilbert space of states does not factorize into subsystem Hilbert spaces due to gauge invariance. We apply random tensor network techniques (successfully used in the AdS/CFT context) to analyze information transport properties of the bulk-to-boundary and boundary-to-boundary maps associated with this superposition of quantum geometries and produce typicality results about the average over the geometric data coloring the fixed graph structure. In this context, one naturally obtains a nontrivial area operator encoding the dominant contribution to entropy calculations. Among our main results is the requirement that one can only isometrically map a bulk region onto boundaries with fixed total area. We furthermore inquire about similar state-induced mappings between segments of the boundary and discuss related conditions for isometric behavior. These generalizations make further steps toward quantum gravity implementations of tensor network holography.
Random tensor networks provide useful models that incorporate various important features of holographic duality. A tensor network is usually defined for a fixed graph geometry specified by the connection of tensors. In this paper, we generalize the random tensor network approach to allow quantum superposition of different spatial geometries. We setup a framework in which all possible bulk spatial geometries, characterized by weighted adjacient matrices of all possible graphs, are mapped to the boundary Hilbert space and form an overcomplete basis of the boundary. We name such an overcomplete basis as holographic coherent states. A generic boundary state can be expanded in this basis, which describes the state as a superposition of different spatial geometries in the bulk. We discuss how to define distinct classical geometries and small fluctuations around them. We show that small fluctuations around classical geometries define “code subspaces” which are mapped to the boundary Hilbert space isometrically with quantum error correction properties. In addition, we also show that the overlap between different geometries is suppressed exponentially as a function of the geometrical difference between the two geometries. The geometrical difference is measured in an area law fashion, which is a manifestation of the holographic nature of the states considered.
We investigate multipartite entanglement for quantum states of 3D space geometry, described via generalized random spin networks with fixed areas, in the context of background independent approaches to quantum gravity. We focus on entanglement negativity as a well defined witness of quantum correlations for mixed states, in our setting describing generic subregions of the boundary of a quantum 3D region of space. In particular, we consider a generic tripartition of the boundary of an open spin network state and we compute the typical R\'enyi negativity of two boundary subregions A and B immersed in the environment C, explicitly for a set of simple open random spin network states. We use the random character of the spin network to exploit replica and random average techniques to derive the typical R\'enyi negativty via a classical generalized Ising model correspondence generally used for random tensor networks in the large bond regime. For trivially correlated random spin network states, with only local entanglement between spins located on the network edges, we find that typical log negativity displays a holographic character, in agreement with the results for random tensor networks, in large spin limit. When nonlocal bulk entanglement between intertwiners at the vertices is considered the negativity increases, while at the same time the holographic scaling is generally perturbed by the bulk contribution.
We investigate multipartite entanglement for quantum states of 3d space geometry, described via generalised random spin networks with fixed areas, in the context of background independent approaches to quantum gravity. We focus on entanglement negativity as a well defined witness of quantum correlations for mixed states, in our setting describing generic subregions of the boundary of a quantum 3d region of space. In particular, we consider a generic tripartition of the boundary of an open spin network state and we compute the typical Rényi negativity of two boundary subregions A and B immersed in the environment C, explicitly for a set of simple open random spin network states. We use the random character of the spin network to exploit replica and random average techniques to derive the typical Rényi negativty via a classical generalised Ising model correspondence, generally used for random tensor networks in the large bond regime. For trivially correlated random spin network states, with only local entanglement between spins located on the network edges, we find that typical log negativity displays a holographic character, in agreement with the results for random tensor networks, in large spin limit. When non-local bulk entanglement between intertwiners at the vertices is considered the negativity increases, while at the same time the holographic scaling is generally perturbed by the bulk contribution.
Tensor networks provide a natural framework for exploring holographic duality because they obey entanglement area laws. They have been used to construct explicit toy models realizing many of the interesting structural features of the AdS/CFT correspondence, including the non-uniqueness of bulk operator reconstruction in the boundary theory. In this article, we explore the holographic properties of networks of random tensors. We find that our models naturally incorporate many features that are analogous to those of the AdS/CFT correspondence. When the bond dimension of the tensors is large, we show that the entanglement entropy of all boundary regions, whether connected or not, obey the Ryu-Takayanagi entropy formula, a fact closely related to known properties of the multipartite entanglement of assistance. We also discuss the behavior of Rényi entropies in our models and contrast it with AdS/CFT. Moreover, we find that each boundary region faithfully encodes the physics of the entire bulk entanglement wedge, i.e., the bulk region enclosed by the boundary region and the minimal surface. Our method is to interpret the average over random tensors as the partition function of a classical ferromagnetic Ising model, so that the minimal surfaces of Ryu-Takayanagi appear as domain walls. Upon including the analog of a bulk field, we find that our model reproduces the expected corrections to the Ryu-Takayanagi formula: the bulk minimal surface is displaced and the entropy is augmented by the entanglement of the bulk field. Increasing the entanglement of the bulk field ultimately changes the minimal surface behavior topologically, in a way similar to the effect of creating a black hole. Extrapolating bulk correlation functions to the boundary permits the calculation of the scaling dimensions of boundary operators, which exhibit a large gap between a small number of low-dimension operators and the rest. While we are primarily motivated by the AdS/CFT duality, the main results of the article define a more general form of bulk-boundary correspondence which could be useful for extending holography to other spacetimes.
In the long-standing quest to reconcile gravity with quantum mechanics, profound connections have been unveiled between concepts traditionally pertaining to a quantum information theory, such as entanglement, and constitutive features of gravity, like holography. Developing and promoting these connections from the conceptual to the operational level unlock access to a powerful set of tools which can be pivotal toward the formulation of a consistent theory of quantum gravity. Here, we review recent progress on the role and applications of quantum informational methods, in particular tensor networks, for quantum gravity models. We focus on spin network states dual to finite regions of space, represented as entanglement graphs in the group field theory approach to quantum gravity, and illustrate how techniques from random tensor networks can be exploited to investigate their holographic properties. In particular, spin network states can be interpreted as maps from bulk to boundary, whose holographic behavior increases with the inhomogeneity of their geometric data (up to becoming proper quantum channels). The entanglement entropy of boundary states, which are obtained by feeding such maps with suitable bulk states, is then proved to follow a bulk area law with corrections due to the entanglement of the bulk state. We further review how exceeding a certain threshold of bulk entanglement leads to the emergence of a black hole-like region, revealing intriguing perspectives for quantum cosmology.