The study of critical phenomena in two-dimensional statistical physics is mainly performed with the help of conformal field theory and integrable models. The relationship between these two formalisms is an active field of research, particularly in the framework of the so-called non-rational theories. This thesis is focused on certain critical systems described by an extended conformal theory : a theory that presents additional symmetries. The first problem studied is the fully packed loop model (FPL). Loop models are non-local statistical models based on the description of assembly of polymers. In particular, they represent the interfaces formed by spin models. The FPL model is integrable and its spectrum reflects an underlying symmetry Uq(sl(3)). The link between this model and the W3 symmetry, a conformal symmetry extended by a three-dimensional field, is studied in detail, numerically (by exact diagonalization) and analytically. The relationship with loop models leads to the study of the non-scalar operator content of the W3 theory. The second problem concerns the calculation of entanglement in unidimensional quantum systems. In this context, the preferred object of study is the entropy of entanglement between a subsystem and its complement. For the fundamental state of a spin chain, the behaviour of this entropy as a function of the size of the subsystem is a clear marker of the criticality of the chain. In this manuscript, a new way of calculating these entropies in critical models is presented. It is based on conformal theories extended by a symmetry called orbifold. This method is particularly applicable to entropies of excited states or disjointed subsystems.
The study of critical phenomena in two-dimensional statistical physics is mainly performed with the help of conformal field theory and integrable models. The relationship between these two formalisms is an active field of research, particularly in the framework of the so-called non-rational theories. This thesis is focused on certain critical systems described by an extended conformal theory : a theory that presents additional symmetries. The first problem studied is the fully packed loop model (FPL). Loop models are non-local statistical models based on the description of assembly of polymers. In particular, they represent the interfaces formed by spin models. The FPL model is integrable and its spectrum reflects an underlying symmetry Uq(sl(3)). The link between this model and the W3 symmetry, a conformal symmetry extended by a three-dimensional field, is studied in detail, numerically (by exact diagonalization) and analytically. The relationship with loop models leads to the study of the non-scalar operator content of the W3 theory. The second problem concerns the calculation of entanglement in unidimensional quantum systems. In this context, the preferred object of study is the entropy of entanglement between a subsystem and its complement. For the fundamental state of a spin chain, the behaviour of this entropy as a function of the size of the subsystem is a clear marker of the criticality of the chain. In this manuscript, a new way of calculating these entropies in critical models is presented. It is based on conformal theories extended by a symmetry called orbifold. This method is particularly applicable to entropies of excited states or disjointed subsystems.
Application des théories conformes étendues à des problèmes de physique statistique L'étude des phénomènes critiques en physique statistique bidimensionnelle a pour outils privilégiés la théorie conforme et les modèles intégrables. La relation entre ces deux formalismes est un domaine de recherche actif, notamment dans le cadre des théories dites non-rationnelles. Cette thèse s'intéresse à certains systèmes critiques décrits par une théorie conforme étendue, c'est-à-dire présentant des symétries supplémentaires. Le premier problème étudié est le modèle de boucles entièrement compactes (fully packed loop model, FPL). Les modèles de boucles sont des modèles de physique statistique non locaux, s'inspirant de la description des polymères. Leur limite continue est une théorie conformes non-rationnelle. Le lien entre le modèle FPL et la symétrie W3, une symétrie conforme étendue par un champ de dimension trois, est étudié en détail. La relation avec les modèles de boucles mène naturellement à l'étude du contenu non-scalaire de la théorie W3. Le second problème concerne le calcul de l'intrication dans des systèmes quantiques unidimensionnels. Dans ce cadre, l'objet d'étude privilégié est l'entropie d'intrication entre un sous-système et son complément. Pour l'état fondamental d'une chaîne de spin, le comportement de cette entropie en fonction de la taille du sous-système est un marqueur clair de la criticalité de la chaîne. Dans ce manuscrit, une nouvelle manière de calculer ces entropies dans le cadre des modèles critiques est présentée. Elle s'appuie sur des théories conformes étendues par une symétrie dite d'orbifold. Cette méthode est particulièrement applicable aux entropies d'états excités ou de sous-systèmes disjoints.
Entanglement and symmetries are two pillars of our understanding of modern Physics, but surprisingly the study of the interplay between these two fundamental concepts has become the subject of an intense research area only in the last few years. In particular, the resolution of entanglement in the various symmetry sectors of a quantum many-body system with a global conserved charge gained a lot of interest within the entanglement community. As shown in some experimental papers, the study of this symmetry resolved entanglement is necessary for a better understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics of quantum many-body systems. This Thesis is devoted to the study of the symmetry resolution of the entanglement measures in free fermionic systems and Conformal Field Theories. It is organised as follows. In Chap. 1 we give an overview of the main definitions and concepts related to the entanglement and its measures in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. Then, we specialize to the case of conformal field theories, to derive expressions of the entanglement entropy and negativity in all the cases that will be examined in the second part of the Thesis. We finally illustrate the main free-fermionic techniques that will be used to perform the analytical as well as numerical lattice calculations. In Chap. 2, we consider a 1-dimensional system of free fermions hopping on a lattice, in which the conserved U(1) charge is the total particle number. We evaluate the symmetry resolved R'enyi and entanglement entropies determining exactly all the non-universal constants and logarithmic corrections to the scaling, thanks to the so-called Fisher-Hartwig conjecture. In Chap. 3, we study the symmetry resolved entanglement entropies in 1-dimensional systems in presence of boundaries, considering the cases of an interval starting from the boundary and disconnected from it. We evaluate the charged and symmetry resolved entropies for conformal invariant theories and a semi-infinite chain of free fermions, finding entanglement equipartition. Using a generalization of the lattice calculations performed in Chap. 2, we also evaluate the first term breaking equipartition for the free fermionic chain. In Chap. 4, we study the symmetry resolution of the entanglement negativity in free fermionic systems, which admits a decomposition in terms of the charge imbalance between the two subsystems. We use conformal field theory to derive the universal behavior of the charge imbalance resolved negativity for a free Dirac field at finite temperature and size. For the lattice version of the Dirac filed, we also determine exactly the model-dependent terms using the Fisher-Hartwig conjecture. We find that at leading order the charge imbalance resolved negativity verifies equipartition. For the lattice model, we also evaluate the first corrections to this equipartition. In Chap. 5, we study the time evolution of the symmetry resolved entanglement entropy and a suitably defined symmetry resolved mutual information in a system of free fermions after a quench. In the context of free fermions and conformal field theories, we are able to provide analytical results for the time-dependent charged and resolved entropies, and shed light on two new physical phenomena. First, the symmetry resolved R'enyi entropies start evolving with a calculable time delay that depends on the charge sector. Second, there is an effective equipartition of the entanglement in the limit of large subsystem size. For free fermions, we also find that effective equipartition is verified by the mutual information. We expect that these phenomena occur in more general quantum systems, as they can be understood from the quasiparticle picture for the spreading of entanglement. In the Appendix, we give an overview of conformal field theory, reporting the main concepts and formulas that are needed for a more complete understanding of the previous Chapters.
Critical spin chains and loop models with PSU(n) symmetry
Starting with the Ising model, statistical models with global symmetries provide fruitful approaches to interesting physical systems, for example percolation or polymers. These include the O(n) O ( n ) model (symmetry group O(n) O ( n ) ) and the Potts model (symmetry group S_Q S Q ). Both models make sense for n,Q∈ \mathbb{C} n , Q ∈ ℂ and not just n,Q∈ \mathbb{N} n , Q ∈ ℕ , and both give rise to a conformal field theory in the critical limit. Here, we study similar models based on the group PSU(n) P S U ( n ) . We focus on the two-dimensional case, where the models can be described either as gases of non-intersecting orientable loops, or as alternating spin chains. This allows us to determine their spectra either by computing a twisted torus partition function, or by studying representations of the walled Brauer algebra. In the critical limit, our models give rise to a CFT that exists for any n∈\mathbb{C} n ∈ ℂ and has a global PSU(n) P S U ( n ) symmetry. Its spectrum is similar to those of the O(n) O ( n ) and Potts CFTs, but a bit simpler. We conjecture that the O(n) O ( n ) CFT is a \mathbb{Z}_2 ℤ 2 orbifold of the PSU(n) P S U ( n ) CFT, where \mathbb{Z}_2
Breaking Symmetries: N=2 Spin Chains and Conformal Field Theory at Finite Temperature
Conformal field theories (CFTs) and supersymmetric field theories constitute special classes of quantum field theories with applications ranging from critical phenomena and confinement to quantum gravity via holography. Their large symmetry groups make them ideal testing grounds for theoretical developments, enabling the use of powerful and elegant methods. Among these, conformal bootstrap and integrability have proven particularly successful. In this thesis, we take steps toward extending these methods beyond their conventional domains by breaking conformal symmetry through finite temperature effects and reducing supersymmetry via orbifolding. For spin chains arising from N=2 superconformal field theories obtained by orbifolding N=4 super Yang–Mills theory in four dimensions, we generalize the coordinate Bethe ansatz by incorporating long-range corrections.On the conformal bootstrap side, after breaking conformality by placing the CFT on a d-dimensional cylinder, we develop an analytic framework based on dispersion relations. We apply this method to several theories, including large-N CFTs in four dimensions. Furthermore, we combine this analytic approach with existing numerical bootstrap techniques at finite temperature to compute new thermal correlation functions in the three-dimensional Ising CFT.
Entanglement entropy has proven invaluable to our understanding of quantum criticality. It is natural to try to extend the concept to "nonunitary quantum mechanics," which has seen growing interest from areas as diverse as open quantum systems, noninteracting electronic disordered systems, or nonunitary conformal field theory (CFT). We propose and investigate such an extension here, by focusing on the case of one-dimensional quantum group symmetric or supergroup symmetric spin chains. We show that the consideration of left and right eigenstates combined with appropriate definitions of the trace leads to a natural definition of Rényi entropies in a large variety of models. We interpret this definition geometrically in terms of related loop models and calculate the corresponding scaling in the conformal case. This allows us to distinguish the role of the central charge and effective central charge in rational minimal models of CFT, and to define an effective central charge in other, less well-understood cases. The example of the sl(2|1) alternating spin chain for percolation is discussed in detail.
As Schroedinger already recognised one century ago, entanglement is at the core of quantum mechanics. Nowadays it turns out to be the fundamental notion behind many quantum phenomena, from quantum algorithms to gravity, passing by critical phenomena and topological phases of matter, triggering unexpected connections between apparently far branches of physics. At the center of all these ideas, we find the (Rényi) entanglement entropies, which are powerful entanglement measures that provide fundamental insights into the investigated system or theory. This motivates the development of techniques for determining it, such as the replica trick: its implementation via the path-integral finds a wide place in this thesis. For example, we develop an efficient strategy to compute a generalised version of the Rényi entropies for all the eigenstates of a (1+1)-dimensional conformal field theory. This represents the starting point for a simulation scheme ideal to compute the entanglement in more generic (1+1)-dimensional quantum field theories (QFTs), e.g. after a quench in the sine-Gordon field theory. The study of entanglement also intertwines with another pillar of modern physics, i.e. symmetries and how their presence influences the properties of a system. Given the interest in this connection, this thesis addresses the question of how the entanglement splits into the different sectors of an internal symmetry. We approach the problem first in the QFT context, both for the free Dirac and complex scalar fields in two-dimensional spacetime, which have an abelian conserved charge, and systems having an internal Lie group symmetry to tackle the non-abelian case. Another typical framework in which we study the symmetry resolution of entanglement is lattice models, where different techniques can be exploited in order to derive exact results, ranging from the corner transfer matrix for gapped integrable systems to the connection between quadratic lattice Hamiltonians and their two-point correlation functions. The symmetry resolution also concerns other entanglement measures, namely, we analyse the behaviour of the operator entanglement, i.e. a key quantifier of the complexity of an operator, the symmetry-resolved mutual information, the effect of symmetries on entanglement negativity. The latter quantity is a genuine measure of quantum correlations in mixed states and a consistent part of the thesis is about this subject. For example, we study its time evolution after a quench and we provide an operatorial characterisation for entanglement in mixed states, which we dub negativity Hamiltonian.