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:2411.17231 · International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE)

Duality and entanglement in lattice gauge theories

Andrea Bulgarelli, Marco Panero C

Published Dec 5, 2024• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The study of entanglement in quantum field theories provides insight into universal properties which are typically challenging to extract by means of local observables. However, calculations of quantities related to entanglement in gauge theories are limited by ambiguities that stem from the non-factorizability of the Hilbert space. On the other hand, (2+1)-dimensional lattice gauge theories are known to admit a dual description in terms of spin models, for which the replica trick and Rényi entropies are well defined. In this contribution, we exploit Kramers-Wannier duality to perform a numerical study of the entropic c-function of the (2+1)-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge theory in the continuum limit. Our results are compared with analytical predictions from holographic models.

DOI
10.22323/1.466.0207

Related papers

Duality transformations and the entanglement entropy of gauge theories

Andrea Bulgarelli, Marco Panero C

A bstract The study of entanglement in gauge theories is expected to provide insights into many fundamental phenomena, including confinement. However, calculations of quantities related to entanglement in gauge theories are limited by ambiguities that stem from the non-factorizability of the Hilbert space. In this work we study lattice gauge theories that admit a dual description in terms of spin models, for which the replica trick and Rényi entropies are well defined. In the first part of this work, we explicitly perform the duality transformation in a replica geometry, deriving the structure of a replica space for a gauge theory. Then, in the second part, we calculate, by means of Monte Carlo simulations, the entropic c-function of the ℤ 2 gauge theory in three spacetime dimensions, exploiting its dual description in terms of the three-dimensional Ising model.

arXiv:2404.01987•Journal of High Energy Physics•Jun 7, 2024•12 citations

Entanglement and confinement in lattice gauge theory tensor networks

Johannes Knaute, Matan Feuerstein, Erez Zohar

A bstract We develop a transfer operator approach for the calculation of Rényi entanglement entropies in arbitrary (i.e. Abelian and non-Abelian) pure lattice gauge theory projected entangled pair states in 2+1 dimensions. It is explicitly shown how the long-range behavior of these quantities gives rise to an entanglement area law in both the thermodynamic limit and in the continuum. We numerically demonstrate the applicability of our method to the ℤ 2 lattice gauge theory and relate some entanglement properties to the confinement-deconfinement transition therein. We provide evidence that Rényi entanglement entropies in certain cases do not provide a complete probe of (de)confinement properties compared to Wilson loop expectation values as other genuine (nonlocal) observables.

arXiv:2401.01930•Journal of High Energy Physics•Feb 22, 2024•12 citations

Entanglement entropy, dualities, and deconfinement in gauge theories

Mohamed M. Anber, Benjamin J. Kolligs

Abstract Computing the entanglement entropy in confining gauge theories is often accompanied by puzzles and ambiguities. In this work we show that compactifying the theory on a small circle $$ {\mathbb{S}}_L^1 $$ S L 1 evades these difficulties. In particular, we study Yang-Mills theory on $$ {\mathrm{\mathbb{R}}}^3\times {\mathbb{S}}_L^1 $$ ℝ 3 × S L 1 with double-trace deformations or adjoint fermions and hold it at temperatures near the deconfinement transition. This theory is dual to a multi-component (electric-magnetic) Coulomb gas that can be mapped either to an XY-spin model with ℤ p symmetry-preserving perturbations or dual Sine-Gordon model. The entanglement entropy of the dual Sine-Gordon model exhibits an extremum at the critical temperature/crossover. We also compute Rényi mutual information (RMI) of the XY-spin model by means of the replica trick and Monte Carlo simulations. These are expensive calculations, since one in general needs to suppress lower winding vortices that do not correspond to physical excitations of the system. We use a T-duality that maps the original XY model to its mirror image, making the extraction of RMI a much efficient process. Our simulations indicate that RMI follows the area law scaling, with subleading corrections, and this quantity can be used as a genuine probe to detect deconfinement transitions. We also discuss the effect of fundamental matter on RMI and the implications of our findings in gauge theories and beyond.

arXiv:1804.01956•Journal of High Energy Physics•Aug 1, 2018•12 citations

Improved lattice method for determining entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories

Tobias Rindlisbacher, Niko Jokela, Arttu Pönni +2 more

The determination of entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories is a non-trivial task. With the so-called "replica trick", a family of entanglement measures, known as "Rényi entropies", can be determined with lattice Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, the standard implementation of the replica method for SU(N) lattice gauge theories suffers from a severe signal-to-noise ratio problem, rendering high-precision studies of Rényi entropies prohibitively expensive. In this work, we propose a method to overcome the signal-to-noise ratio problem and show some first results for SU(N) in 4 dimensions.

arXiv:2211.00425•Nov 1, 2022•0 citations

Improved lattice method for determining entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories

Tobias Rindlisbacher, Niko Jokela, Arttu Pönni +2 more

The determination of entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories is a non-trivial task. With the so-called "replica trick", a family of entanglement measures, known as "Rényi entropies", can be determined with lattice Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, the standard implementation of the replica method for SU(N) lattice gauge theories suffers from a severe signal-to-noise ratio problem, rendering high-precision studies of Rényi entropies prohibitively expensive. In this work, we propose a method to overcome the signal-to-noise ratio problem and show some first results for SU(N) in 4 dimensions.

International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE)•Nov 7, 2022•9 citations

Entanglement entropy and nonabelian gauge symmetry

William Donnelly

Entanglement entropy has proven to be an extremely useful concept in quantum field theory. Gauge theories are of particular interest, but for these systems the entanglement entropy is not clearly defined because the physical Hilbert space does not factor as a tensor product according to regions of space. Here we review a definition of entanglement entropy that applies to abelian and nonabelian lattice gauge theories. This entanglement entropy is obtained by embedding the physical Hilbert space into a product of Hilbert spaces associated to regions with boundary. The latter Hilbert spaces include degrees of freedom on the entangling surface that transform like surface charges under the gauge symmetry. These degrees of freedom are shown to contribute to the entanglement entropy, and the form of this contribution is determined by the gauge symmetry. We test our definition using the example of two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, and find that it agrees with the thermal entropy in de Sitter space, and with the results of the Euclidean replica trick. We discuss the possible implications of this result for more complicated gauge theories, including quantum gravity.

arXiv:1406.7304•Classical and Quantum Gravity•Oct 21, 2014•178 citations
The study of entanglement in quantum field theories provides insight into universal properties which are typically challenging to extract by means of local observables. However, calculations of quantities related to entanglement in gauge theories are limited by ambiguities that stem from the non-factorizability of the Hilbert space. On the other hand, (2+1)-dimensional lattice gauge theories are known to admit a dual description in terms of spin models, for which the replica trick and Rényi entropies are well defined. In this contribution, we exploit Kramers-Wannier duality to perform a numerical study of the entropic c-function of the (2+1)-dimensional Z2\mathbb{Z}_2Z2​ gauge theory in the continuum limit. Our results are compared with analytical predictions from holographic models.
A bstract The study of entanglement in gauge theories is expected to provide insights into many fundamental phenomena, including confinement. However, calculations of quantities related to entanglement in gauge theories are limited by ambiguities that stem from the non-factorizability of the Hilbert space. In this work we study lattice gauge theories that admit a dual description in terms of spin models, for which the replica trick and Rényi entropies are well defined. In the first part of this work, we explicitly perform the duality transformation in a replica geometry, deriving the structure of a replica space for a gauge theory. Then, in the second part, we calculate, by means of Monte Carlo simulations, the entropic c-function of the ℤ 2 gauge theory in three spacetime dimensions, exploiting its dual description in terms of the three-dimensional Ising model.
A bstract We develop a transfer operator approach for the calculation of Rényi entanglement entropies in arbitrary (i.e. Abelian and non-Abelian) pure lattice gauge theory projected entangled pair states in 2+1 dimensions. It is explicitly shown how the long-range behavior of these quantities gives rise to an entanglement area law in both the thermodynamic limit and in the continuum. We numerically demonstrate the applicability of our method to the ℤ 2 lattice gauge theory and relate some entanglement properties to the confinement-deconfinement transition therein. We provide evidence that Rényi entanglement entropies in certain cases do not provide a complete probe of (de)confinement properties compared to Wilson loop expectation values as other genuine (nonlocal) observables.
Abstract Computing the entanglement entropy in confining gauge theories is often accompanied by puzzles and ambiguities. In this work we show that compactifying the theory on a small circle SL1 {\mathbb{S}}_L^1 SL1​ S L 1 evades these difficulties. In particular, we study Yang-Mills theory on R3×SL1 {\mathrm{\mathbb{R}}}^3\times {\mathbb{S}}_L^1 R3×SL1​ ℝ 3 × S L 1 with double-trace deformations or adjoint fermions and hold it at temperatures near the deconfinement transition. This theory is dual to a multi-component (electric-magnetic) Coulomb gas that can be mapped either to an XY-spin model with ℤ p symmetry-preserving perturbations or dual Sine-Gordon model. The entanglement entropy of the dual Sine-Gordon model exhibits an extremum at the critical temperature/crossover. We also compute Rényi mutual information (RMI) of the XY-spin model by means of the replica trick and Monte Carlo simulations. These are expensive calculations, since one in general needs to suppress lower winding vortices that do not correspond to physical excitations of the system. We use a T-duality that maps the original XY model to its mirror image, making the extraction of RMI a much efficient process. Our simulations indicate that RMI follows the area law scaling, with subleading corrections, and this quantity can be used as a genuine probe to detect deconfinement transitions. We also discuss the effect of fundamental matter on RMI and the implications of our findings in gauge theories and beyond.
The determination of entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories is a non-trivial task. With the so-called "replica trick", a family of entanglement measures, known as "Rényi entropies", can be determined with lattice Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, the standard implementation of the replica method for SU(N) lattice gauge theories suffers from a severe signal-to-noise ratio problem, rendering high-precision studies of Rényi entropies prohibitively expensive. In this work, we propose a method to overcome the signal-to-noise ratio problem and show some first results for SU(N) in 4 dimensions.
The determination of entanglement measures in SU(N) gauge theories is a non-trivial task. With the so-called "replica trick", a family of entanglement measures, known as "Rényi entropies", can be determined with lattice Monte Carlo. Unfortunately, the standard implementation of the replica method for SU(N) lattice gauge theories suffers from a severe signal-to-noise ratio problem, rendering high-precision studies of Rényi entropies prohibitively expensive. In this work, we propose a method to overcome the signal-to-noise ratio problem and show some first results for SU(N) in 4 dimensions.
Entanglement entropy has proven to be an extremely useful concept in quantum field theory. Gauge theories are of particular interest, but for these systems the entanglement entropy is not clearly defined because the physical Hilbert space does not factor as a tensor product according to regions of space. Here we review a definition of entanglement entropy that applies to abelian and nonabelian lattice gauge theories. This entanglement entropy is obtained by embedding the physical Hilbert space into a product of Hilbert spaces associated to regions with boundary. The latter Hilbert spaces include degrees of freedom on the entangling surface that transform like surface charges under the gauge symmetry. These degrees of freedom are shown to contribute to the entanglement entropy, and the form of this contribution is determined by the gauge symmetry. We test our definition using the example of two-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, and find that it agrees with the thermal entropy in de Sitter space, and with the results of the Euclidean replica trick. We discuss the possible implications of this result for more complicated gauge theories, including quantum gravity.