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arXiv:quant-ph/0301120

Entanglement Entropy and The Density Matrix Renormalization Group

José Gaite

Published Jan 22, 2003• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum entanglement entropy has a geometric character. This is illustrated by the interpretation of Rindler space or black hole entropy as entanglement entropy. In general, one can define a "geometric entropy", associated with an event horizon as a boundary that concentrates a large number of quantum states. This allows one to connect with the "density matrix renormalization group" and to unveil its connection with the theory of quantum information. This renormalization group has been introduced in condensed matter physics in a heuristic manner, but it can be conceived as a method of compression of quantum information in the presence of a horizon. We propose generalizations to problems of interest in cosmology.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/0301120

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Quantum entanglement entropy has a geometric character. This is illustrated by the interpretation of Rindler space or black hole entropy as entanglement entropy. In general, one can define a "geometric entropy", associated with an event horizon as a boundary that concentrates a large number of quantum states. This allows one to connect with the "density matrix renormalization group" and to unveil its connection with the theory of quantum information. This renormalization group has been introduced in condensed matter physics in a heuristic manner, but it can be conceived as a method of compression of quantum information in the presence of a horizon. We propose generalizations to problems of interest in cosmology.
The renormalization group is a tool that allows one to obtain a reduced description of systems with many degrees of freedom while preserving the relevant features. In the case of quantum systems, in particular, one-dimensional systems defined on a chain, an optimal formulation is given by White's ‘density matrix renormalization group’. This formulation can be shown to rely on concepts of the developing theory of quantum information. Furthermore, White's algorithm can be connected with a peculiar type of quantization, namely, angular quantization . This type of quantization arose in connection with quantum gravity problems, in particular, the Unruh effect in the problem of black-hole entropy and Hawking radiation. This connection highlights the importance of quantum system boundaries, regarding the concentration of quantum states on them, and helps us to understand the optimal nature of White's algorithm.
We study a proposed statistical explanation for the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of a black hole in which entropy arises quantum-mechanically as a result of entanglement. Arguments for the identification of black hole entropy with entanglement entropy are reviewed in the framework of quantum field theory, emphasizing the role of renormalization and the need for a physical short-distance cutoff. \n \nOur main novel contribution is a calculation of entanglement entropy in loop quantum gravity. The kinematical Hilbert space and spin network states are introduced, and the entanglement entropy of these states is calculated using methods from quantum information theory. The entanglement entropy is compared with the density of states previously computed for isolated horizons in loop quantum gravity, and the two are found to agree up to a topological term. \n \nWe investigate a conjecture due to Sorkin that the entanglement entropy must be a monotonically increasing function of time under the assumption of causality. For a system described by a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, the conjecture is found to be trivial, and for a system described by an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space a counterexample is provided. \n \nFor quantum states with Euclidean symmetry, the area scaling of the entanglement entropy is shown to be equivalent to the strong additivity condition on the entropy. The strong additivity condition is naturally interpreted in information-theoretic terms as a continuous analog of the Markov property for a classical random variable. We explicitly construct states of a quantum field theory on the one-dimensional real line in which the area law is exactly satisfied.
A general geometrical structure of the entanglement entropy for spatial partition of a relativistic QFT system is established by using methods of the effective gravity action and the spectral geometry. A special attention is payed to the subleading terms in the entropy in different dimensions and to behavior in different states. It is conjectured, on the base of relation between the entropy and the action, that in a fundamental theory the ground state entanglement entropy per unit area equals 1/(4GN)1/(4{G}_{N})1/(4GN​), where GN{G}_{N}GN​ is the Newton constant in the low-energy gravity sector of the theory. The conjecture opens a new avenue in analogue gravity models. For instance, in higher-dimensional condensed matter systems, which near a critical point are described by relativistic QFT's, the entanglement entropy density defines an effective gravitational coupling. By studying the properties of this constant one can get new insights in quantum gravity phenomena, such as the universality of the low-energy physics, the renormalization group behavior of GN{G}_{N}GN​, the statistical meaning of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.
The entanglement entropy between quantum fields inside and outside a black hole horizon is a promising candidate for the microscopic origin of black hole entropy. We show that the entanglement entropy may be defined in loop quantum gravity, and compute its value for spin network states. The entanglement entropy for an arbitrary region of space is expressed as a sum over punctures where the spin network intersects the region's boundary. Our result agrees asymptotically with results previously obtained from the isolated horizon framework, and we give a justification for this agreement. We conclude by proposing a new method for studying corrections to the area law and its implications for quantum corrections to the gravitational action.
The black hole information paradox is a contradiction between fundamental principles which has puzzled physicists for over forty years. The crux of the problem lies in an assumption about the structure of entanglement across the event horizon, namely, that the Hilbert space factorizes. While valid in quantum mechanics, this fails drastically in quantum field theory, and hence a deeper understanding of entanglement is required if further progress is to be made. Recently, ideas from algebraic quantum field theory have provided new insight into this issue, and show promise for elucidating the connection between entropy and horizons that underlies black hole thermodynamics.