Abstract For a Lorentzian invariant theory, the entanglement entropy should be a function of the domain of dependence of the subregion under consideration. More precisely, it should be a function of the domain of dependence and the appropriate cut-off. In this study, we refine the concept of cut-off to make it applicable to timelike regions and assume that the usual entanglement entropy formula also applies to timelike intervals. Using the Rindler method, the timelike entanglement entropy can be regarded as the thermal entropy of the CFT after the Rindler transformation plus a constant , where c denotes the central charge. The gravitational dual of the 'covariant' timelike entanglement entropy is presented following this method.
Abstract For a Lorentzian invariant theory, the entanglement entropy should be a function of the domain of dependence of the subregion under consideration. More precisely, it should be a function of the domain of dependence and the appropriate cut-off. In this study, we refine the concept of cut-off to make it applicable to timelike regions and assume that the usual entanglement entropy formula also applies to timelike intervals. Using the Rindler method, the timelike entanglement entropy can be regarded as the thermal entropy of the CFT after the Rindler transformation plus a constant , where c denotes the central charge. The gravitational dual of the 'covariant' timelike entanglement entropy is presented following this method.
A bstract We study the timelike entanglement entropy (TEE) in two dimensional conformal field theories (CFT) with gravitational anomalies. We employ analytical continuation to compute the timelike entanglement entropy for a pure timelike interval in such CFTs. We find that, unlike the real part, the imaginary part of the TEE displays an asymmetric dependence on the central charges of the left and right moving modes. We propose that the asymmetric dependence on central charges of the imaginary part of the TEE can be used to probe the presence of gravitational anomalies in chiral CFT. Furthermore, we propose a holographic construction to obtain the timelike entanglement entropy from the bulk dual geometries involving topologically massive gravity in AdS 3 . The holographic results obtained match exactly with the dual field theory results.
A bstract Timelike entanglement entropy is a complex measure of information that is holographically realized by an appropriate combination of spacelike and timelike extremal surfaces. This measure is highly sensitive to Lorentz invariance breaking. In this work, we study the timelike entanglement entropy in non-relativistic theories, focusing on theories with hyperscaling violation and Lifshitz-like spatial anisotropy. The properties of the extremal surfaces, as well as the timelike entanglement entropy itself, depend heavily on the symmetry-breaking parameters of the theory. Consequently, we show that timelike entanglement can encode, to a large extent, the stability and naturalness of the theory. Furthermore, we find that timelike entanglement entropy identifies Fermi surfaces either through the logarithmic behavior of its real part or, alternatively, via its constant imaginary part, with this constant value depending on the theory’s Lifshitz exponent. This provides a novel interpretation for the imaginary component of this pseudoentropy. Additionally, we examine temporal entanglement entropy, an extension of timelike entanglement entropy to Euclidean space, and provide a comprehensive discussion of its properties in these theories.
Abstract In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, it is often convenient to regulate infinite quantities in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes by introducing a sharp cutoff at some finite, large value of a particular radial coordinate. This procedure is a priori coordinate dependent, and may not be well-motivated in full, covariant general relativity; however, the fact that physically meaningful quantities such as the entanglement entropy can be obtained by such a regulation procedure suggests some underlying covariance. In this paper, we provide a careful treatment of the radial cutoff procedure for computing holographic entanglement entropy in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes. We prove two results that are frequently assumed in the literature, but that have not been carefully addressed: (i) that the choice of a “globally minimal surface” among several extremal candidates is independent of the choice of regulator, and (ii) that finite CFT quantities such as the mutual information which involve “divergence-cancelling” sums of entanglement entropies are well-defined under the usual prescription for computing covariant holographic entanglement entropy. Our results imply that the “globally minimal surface” prescription for computing the holographic entanglement entropy is well-posed from the perspective of general relativity, and thus support the widely-held belief that this is the correct prescription for identifying the entanglement wedge of a boundary subregion in AdS/CFT. We also comment on the geometric source of state-dependent divergences in the holographic entanglement entropy, and identify precisely the regime of validity of the “vacuum subtraction” protocol for regulating infinite entanglement entropies in arbitrary states by comparing them to the entanglement entropies of identical regions in the vacuum. Our proofs make use of novel techniques for the covariant analysis of extremal surfaces, which are explained in detail and may find use more broadly in the study of holographic entanglement entropy.
We study holographic entanglement entropy in 3-dimensional AdS gravity with conformal boundary conditions which fix the conformal class of the boundary metric and its extrinsic curvature, K, while leaving the Weyl mode dynamical. Extending Lewkowycz-Maldacena-Dong's replica construction, we derive the corresponding holographic entanglement entropy formula. We show that the fluctuating Weyl mode does not contribute additional entropy. The entropy of the full boundary is therefore the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, and the entropy of a boundary subregion continues to obey the Ryu-Takayanagi prescription, namely, the area of a minimal surface divided by 4GN. We carry out explicit calculations for global AdS, rotating and non-rotating BTZ geometries. For an interval in AdS3 we find that the K-dependent holographic entanglement entropy is governed by cm=2GN3ℓ. For a thermal state at high conformal temperatures we find that, the entropy is governed by ceff=2GN3ℓ2Kℓ−K2ℓ2−4, the same effective central charge that governs the Cardy-like density of states, in agreement with previous results in the literature. Finally, we also compute the entanglement entropy directly from the conjectured dual boundary theory - a holographic CFT coupled with time-like Liouville theory and deformed by a marginal TTˉ like operator - and find SEE=3ceffln(ε2Rsinϕ0). This result for the state with no operator insertions (vacuum state ), provides an independent boundary realization of ceff while clarifying that this state is not the state dual to global AdS.
A bstract We extend the entanglement first law of conformal field theory (CFT) to timelike subregions. Focusing on intervals along the time direction of the boundary CFT, we show that the associated timelike entanglement entropy obeys a first-law-like relation, with an effective entanglement temperature inversely proportional to the temporal size of the interval. By implementing a double Wick rotation, we obtain the exact modular Hamiltonian for a suitable hyperbolic subsystem and use it to formulate the timelike entanglement first law precisely. Our central result is a detailed proof that, in asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetime, this timelike entanglement first law is equivalent to linearized Einstein’s equations in the bulk: the first law follows from the linearized equations and, conversely, implies them. Our results further reveal the dynamical connections between entanglement and gravity.
A bstract We develop a unified framework for computing Rényi and entanglement entropies of arbitrary spacetime intervals in time-dependent states of (1 + 1)-dimensional conformal field theories. By combining the spacetime density matrix formalism with the replica method, we show that entanglement entropy is well defined for both spacelike and timelike separations. Applying this framework to global quenches prepared by boundary states and to local quenches generated by operator insertions, we obtain analytic expressions for the entanglement entropy in general spacetime configurations. The results reveal qualitative differences between spacelike and timelike intervals: the timelike entanglement entropy is time-independent in the global quench model, depends solely on the temporal separation, and universally exhibits a constant imaginary contribution. These features are naturally explained by a generalized quasiparticle picture in which entanglement is produced precisely when one worldline of each quasiparticle pair intersects the interval. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the linear sum rule relating time- and spacelike entanglement persists in both global and local quenches, indicating a broader universality of spacetime entanglement in real-time quantum dynamics.