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arXiv:2207.06433

Symmetry enhancement in RCFT II

Kikuchi, Ken

Published Jul 13, 2022• 5 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We explain when and why symmetries enhance in fermionic rational conformal field theories. In order to achieve the goal, we first clarify invariants under renormalization group flows. In particular, we find the Ocneanu rigidity is not enough to protect some quantities. Concretely, while (double) braidings are subject to the rigidity, they jump at conformal fixed points. The jump happens in a specific way, so the double braiding relation further constrains renormalization group flows. The new constraints enable us three things; 1) to predict infrared conformal dimensions in massless flow, 2) to reveal some structures of the theory space, and 3) to obtain a necessary condition for a flow to be massless. We also find scaling dimensions ``monotonically'' decrease along massless flows. Combining the discovery with predictions, sometimes, we can uniquely fix infrared conformal dimensions.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2207.06433

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We explain when and why symmetries enhance in fermionic rational conformal field theories. In order to achieve the goal, we first clarify invariants under renormalization group flows. In particular, we find the Ocneanu rigidity is not enough to protect some quantities. Concretely, while (double) braidings are subject to the rigidity, they jump at conformal fixed points. The jump happens in a specific way, so the double braiding relation further constrains renormalization group flows. The new constraints enable us three things; 1) to predict infrared conformal dimensions in massless flow, 2) to reveal some structures of the theory space, and 3) to obtain a necessary condition for a flow to be massless. We also find scaling dimensions ``monotonically'' decrease along massless flows. Combining the discovery with predictions, sometimes, we can uniquely fix infrared conformal dimensions.
Renormalization group flows are constrained by symmetries. Traditionally, we have made the most of 't Hooft anomalies associated to the symmetries. The anomaly is mathematically part of the data for the monoidal structure on symmetry categories. The symmetry categories sometimes admit additional structures such as braiding. It was found that the additional structures give further constraints on renormalization group flows. One of these constraints is the half-integer condition. The condition claims the following. Braidings are characterized by conformal dimensions. A symmetry object ccc in a braided symmetry category surviving all along the flow thus has two conformal dimensions, one in ultraviolet hcUVh_c^\text{UV}hcUV​ and the other in infrared hcIRh_c^\text{IR}hcIR​. In a renormalization group flow with a renormalization group defect, they add up to a half-integer hcUV+hcIR∈12Zh_c^\text{UV}+h_c^\text{IR}\in\frac12\mathbb ZhcUV​+hcIR​∈21​Z. We find a necessary condition for the sum to be half-integer. We solve some flows with the refined half-integer condition.
We use the conformal bootstrap program to derive the necessary conditions for emergent symmetry enhancement from discrete symmetry (e.g., Z_{n}) to continuous symmetry [e.g., U(1)] under the renormalization group flow. In three dimensions, in order for Z_{2} symmetry to be enhanced to U(1) symmetry, the conformal bootstrap program predicts that the scaling dimension of the order parameter field at the infrared conformal fixed point must satisfy Δ_{1}>1.08. We also obtain the similar necessary conditions for Z_{3} symmetry with Δ_{1}>0.580 and Z_{4} symmetry with Δ_{1}>0.504 from the simultaneous conformal bootstrap analysis of multiple four-point functions. As applications, we show that our necessary conditions impose severe constraints on the nature of the chiral phase transition in QCD, the deconfinement criticality in Néel valence bond solid transitions, and anisotropic deformations in critical O(n) models. We prove that some fixed points proposed in the literature are unstable under the perturbation that cannot be forbidden by the discrete symmetry. In these situations, the second-order phase transition with enhanced symmetry cannot happen.
The concept of renormalization group (RG) flow is one of the most novel and broad-reaching aspects of quantum field theory (QFT). The RG flow is implemented by constructing effective descriptions of a QFT at decreasing energy scales. One reason that RG flow is useful is that often one is interested in low-energy properties of theories with complicated short-distance structures. RG flows are subject to C theorems in relativistic QFT. The C theorems order the space of Lorentz-invariant QFTs. RG flows generically begin at scale-invariant fixed points known as conformal field theories (CFTs) and end in trivial massive theories. With tuning, the RG flows may end at non-trivial CFTs. Each CFT has an associated dimensionless C value. The C theorem states that under RG flow from a UV to an IR fixed point, the C value decreases. In this Dissertation I present the F-theorem, which is a C theorem in three spacetime dimensions. I show that the correct quantity to consider is the Euclidean free energy of the CFT conformally mapped to the three-sphere, known as the F value. After motivating the F-theorem, I develop tools for calculating the F value in a variety of CFTs, with and without supersymmetry, including free field theories and gauge theories with large numbers of flavors. I also show that the F value is itself a useful quantity for probing the gauge/gravity duality and understanding other aspects of CFT, such as the scaling dimensions of monopole operators. The F theorem is closely related to quantum entanglement entropy. At conformal fixed points, the F value is equal to minus the renormalized entanglement entropy (REE) in flat Minkowski space across a circle. Away from the fixed points, the REE is a monotonically decreasing function along the RG flow. I compute the REE in a variety of holographic and non-holographic theories. I conclude the Dissertation by discussing a somewhat surprising result: the REE is not stationary at conformal fixed points.
A bstract We consider topological defect lines (TDLs) in two-dimensional conformal field theories. Generalizing and encompassing both global symmetries and Verlinde lines, TDLs together with their attached defect operators provide models of fusion categories without braiding. We study the crossing relations of TDLs, discuss their relation to the ’t Hooft anomaly, and use them to constrain renormalization group flows to either conformal critical points or topological quantum field theories (TQFTs). We show that if certain non-invertible TDLs are preserved along a RG flow, then the vacuum cannot be a non-degenerate gapped state. For various massive flows, we determine the infrared TQFTs completely from the consideration of TDLs together with modular invariance.