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arXiv:2303.01307 · The European Physical Journal C

Notes on time entanglement and pseudo-entropy

Krishnan Narayan, Hitesh Kumar Saini

Published May 14, 2024• 29 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Following arXiv:2210.12963 [hep-th], we investigate aspects of the time evolution operator regarded as a density operator and associated entanglement-like structures in various quantum systems. These involve timelike separations and generically lead to complex-valued entropy, although there are interesting real subfamilies. There are many parallels and close relations with reduced transition matrices and pseudo-entropy, which we discuss and clarify. For instance, a related quantity involves the time evolution operator along with a projection onto some initial state, which amounts to analysing pseudo-entropy for the initial state and its time-evolved final state.

DOI
10.1140/epjc/s10052-024-12855-x

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The European Physical Journal C•Jun 20, 2026•0 citations
Abstract Following arXiv:2210.12963 [hep-th], we investigate aspects of the time evolution operator regarded as a density operator and associated entanglement-like structures in various quantum systems. These involve timelike separations and generically lead to complex-valued entropy, although there are interesting real subfamilies. There are many parallels and close relations with reduced transition matrices and pseudo-entropy, which we discuss and clarify. For instance, a related quantity involves the time evolution operator along with a projection onto some initial state, which amounts to analysing pseudo-entropy for the initial state and its time-evolved final state.
Abstract We define a new complex-valued measure of information called the timelike entanglement entropy (EE) which in the boundary theory can be viewed as a Wick rotation that changes a spacelike boundary subregion to a timelike one. An explicit definition of the timelike EE in 2d field theories is provided followed by numerical computations which agree with the analytic continuation of the replica method for CFTs. We argue that timelike EE should be correctly interpreted as another measure previously considered, the pseudo entropy, which is the von Neumann entropy of a reduced transition matrix. Our results strongly imply that the imaginary part of the pseudo entropy describes an emergent time which generalizes the notion of an emergent space from quantum entanglement. For holographic systems we define the timelike EE as the total complex valued area of a particular stationary combination of both space and timelike extremal surfaces which are homologous to the boundary region. For the examples considered we find explicit matching of our optimization procedure and the careful implementation of the Wick rotation in the boundary CFT. We also make progress on higher dimensional generalizations and relations to holographic pseudo entropy in de Sitter space.
Pseudo entropy is a complex-valued generalization of entanglement entropy defined from a reduced transition matrix. We study the pseudo entropy associated with a real-time transition matrix between an initial pure state and its unitary time evolution. For a subsystem AAA, we show that the short-time behavior of real-time pseudo entropy is governed by the correlation between the physical Hamiltonian HHH and the modular Hamiltonian KA=−log⁡ρAK_A=-\logρ_AKA​=−logρA​ of the initial reduced state, $ S_A(t,0)=S_A(0)-it \langle K_A(H-\langle H\rangle)\rangle + \mathcal{O}(t^2)$. For Hermitian dynamics, the initial imaginary response is controlled by the symmetrized covariance of HHH and KAK_AKA​ with an overall minus sign, while the initial real response is governed by their commutator. Thus the imaginary part of real-time pseudo entropy is not merely a branch artifact: it is a time-oriented modular response generated by the correlation between microscopic time evolution and subsystem coarse graining. We clarify the relation of this result to the known first law of pseudo entropy, derive an all-order expression in a Schmidt-diagonal model, recover thermal pseudo entropy as a special case, illustrate the covariance/commutator decomposition in a two-qubit model, and confirm the covariance response in transverse-field Ising-chain quenches, including a finite-size study of a modular susceptibility near the Ising critical region. We discuss how this amplitude-level oriented response can be related to ordinary entropy production, and also give a concrete PT\mathcal{PT}PT-symmetric toy-model illustration of the non-Hermitian extension.
This is an expanded version of the short report arXiv:1401.0539 , where we studied the time evolution of (Renyi) entanglement entropies for the excited state defined by acting a given local operator on the ground state. In the present paper, we introduce (Renyi) entanglement entropies of given local operators which are defined by late time values of excesses of (Renyi) entanglement entropies. They measure the degrees of freedom of local operators and characterize them in conformal field theories from the viewpoint of quantum entanglement. We explain how to compute them in free massless scalar field theories and we also investigate their time evolution. Our results can be interpreted in terms of the relativistic propagation of entangled pairs. The main new results which we acquire in the present paper are as follows. Firstly, we provide an explanation which shows that (Renyi) entanglement entropies of a specific operator are given by (Renyi) entanglement entropies whose reduced density matrices are given by the binomial distribution. That operator is constructed of only the scalar field. Secondly, we found the sum rule which (Renyi) entanglement entropies of those local operators obey. Those local operators are located separately. Moreover we argue that (Renyi) entanglement entropies of specific operators in conformal field theories are given by (Renyi) entanglement entropies whose reduced density matrices are given by the binomial distribution. These specific operators are constructed of single-species operators. We also argue that general operators obey the sum rule which we mentioned above.
This is an expanded version of the short report arXiv:1401.0539 , where we studied the time evolution of (Renyi) entanglement entropies for the excited state defined by acting a given local operator on the ground state. In the present paper, we introduce (Renyi) entanglement entropies of given local operators which are defined by late time values of excesses of (Renyi) entanglement entropies. They measure the degrees of freedom of local operators and characterize them in conformal field theories from the viewpoint of quantum entanglement. We explain how to compute them in free massless scalar field theories and we also investigate their time evolution. Our results can be interpreted in terms of the relativistic propagation of entangled pairs. The main new results which we acquire in the present paper are as follows. Firstly, we provide an explanation which shows that (Renyi) entanglement entropies of a specific operator are given by (Renyi) entanglement entropies whose reduced density matrices are given by the binomial distribution. That operator is constructed of only the scalar field. Secondly, we found the sum rule which (Renyi) entanglement entropies of those local operators obey. Those local operators are located separately. Moreover we argue that (Renyi) entanglement entropies of specific operators in conformal field theories are given by (Renyi) entanglement entropies whose reduced density matrices are given by the binomial distribution. These specific operators are constructed of single-species operators. We also argue that general operators obey the sum rule which we mentioned above.
Abstract In this work, we study the real-time evolution of pseudo-(Rényi) entropy, a generalization of entanglement entropy, in two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). We focus on states obtained by acting primary operators located at different space points or their linear combinations on the vacuum. We show the similarities and differences between the pseudo-(Rényi) entropy and entanglement entropy. For excitation by a single primary operator, we analyze the behaviors of the 2nd pseudo-Rényi entropy in various limits and find some symmetries associated with the subsystem and the positions of the inserted operators. For excitation by linear combinations, the late time limit of the nth pseudo-Rényi entropy shows a simple form related to the coefficients of the combinations and Rényi entropy of the operators, which can be derived by using the Schmidt decomposition. Further, we find two kinds of particular spatial configurations of insertion operators in one of which the pseudo-(Rényi) entropy remains real throughout the time evolution.