Exponential Formulas, Normal Ordering and the Weyl-Heisenberg Algebra

We consider a class of exponentials in the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra with exponents of type at most linear in coordinates and arbitrary functions of momenta. They are expressed in terms of normal ordering where coordinates stand to the left from momenta. Exponents appearing in normal ordered form satisfy differential equations with boundary conditions that could be solved perturbatively order by order. Two propositions are presented for the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra in 2 dimensions and their generalizations in higher dimensions. These results can be applied to arbitrary noncommutative spaces for construction of star products, coproducts of momenta and twist operators. They can also be related to the BCH formula.

A basis of analytic functionals for CFTs in general dimension

We develop an analytic approach to the four-point crossing equation in CFT, for general spacetime dimension. In a unitary CFT, the crossing equation (for, say, the s- and t-channel expansions) can be thought of as a vector equation in an infinite-dimensional space of complex analytic functions in two variables, which satisfy a boundedness condition at infinity. We identify a useful basis for this space of functions, consisting of the set of s- and t-channel conformal blocks of double-twist operators in mean field theory. We describe two independent algorithms to construct the dual basis of linear functionals, and work out explicitly many examples. Our basis of functionals appears to be closely related to the CFT dispersion relation recently derived by Carmi and Caron-Huot.

Monodromy methods for torus conformal blocks and entanglement entropy at large central charge

We compute the entanglement entropy in a two dimensional conformal field theory at finite size and finite temperature in the large central charge limit via the replica trick. We first generalize the known monodromy method for the calculation of conformal blocks on the plane to the torus. Then, we derive a monodromy method for the zero-point conformal blocks of the replica partition function. We explain the differences between the two monodromy methods before applying them to the calculation of the entanglement entropy. We find that the contribution of the vacuum exchange dominates the entanglement entropy for a large class of CFTs, leading to universal results in agreement with holographic predictions from the RT formula. Moreover, we determine in which regime the replica partition function agrees with a correlation function of local twist operators on the torus.

Applications of dispersive sum rules: $ε$-expansion and holography

We use Mellin space dispersion relations together with Polyakov conditions to derive a family of sum rules for Conformal Field Theories (CFTs). The defining property of these sum rules is suppression of the contribution of the double twist operators. Firstly, we apply these sum rules to the Wilson-Fisher model in d=4-\epsilond=4−ϵ dimensions. We re-derive many of the known results to order \epsilon^4ϵ4 and we make new predictions. No assumption of analyticity down to spin 00 was made. Secondly, we study holographic CFTs. We use dispersive sum rules to obtain tree-level and one-loop anomalous dimensions. Finally, we briefly discuss the contribution of heavy operators to the sum rules in UV complete holographic theories.

Dispersive CFT sum rules

We give a unified treatment of dispersive sum rules for four-point correlators in conformal field theory. We call a sum rule “dispersive” if it has double zeros at all double-twist operators above a fixed twist gap. Dispersive sum rules have their conceptual origin in Lorentzian kinematics and absorptive physics (the notion of double discontinuity). They have been discussed using three seemingly different methods: analytic functionals dual to double-twist operators, dispersion relations in position space, and dispersion relations in Mellin space. We show that these three approaches can be mapped into one another and lead to completely equivalent sum rules. A central idea of our discussion is a fully nonperturbative expansion of the correlator as a sum over Polyakov-Regge blocks. Unlike the usual OPE sum, the Polyakov-Regge expansion utilizes the data of two separate channels, while having (term by term) good Regge behavior in the third channel. We construct sum rules which are non-negative above the double-twist gap; they have the physical interpretation of a subtracted version of “superconvergence” sum rules. We expect dispersive sum rules to be a very useful tool to study expansions around mean-field theory, and to constrain the low-energy description of holographic CFTs with a large gap. We give examples of the first kind of applications, notably we exhibit a candidate extremal functional for the spin-two gap problem.

BCFT entanglement entropy at large central charge and the black hole interior

In this note, we consider entanglement and Renyi entropies for spatial subsystems of a boundary conformal field theory (BCFT) or of a CFT in a state constructed using a Euclidean BCFT path integral. Holographic calculations suggest that these entropies undergo phase transitions as a function of time or parameters describing the subsystem; these arise from a change in topology of the RT surface. In recent applications to black hole physics, such transitions have been seen to govern whether or not the bulk entanglement wedge of a (B)CFT region includes a portion of the black hole interior and have played a crucial role in understanding the semiclassical origin of the Page curve for evaporating black holes.In this paper, we reproduce these holographic results via direct (B)CFT calculations. Using the replica method, the entropies are related to correlation functions of twist operators in a Euclidean BCFT. These correlations functions can be expanded in various channels involving intermediate bulk or boundary operators. Under certain sparseness conditions on the spectrum and OPE coefficients of bulk and boundary operators, we show that the twist correlators are dominated by the vacuum block in a single channel, with the relevant channel depending on the position of the twists. These transitions between channels lead to the holographically observed phase transitions in entropies.

Renormalization of twisted Ramond fields in D1-D5 SCFT2

We explore the n-twisted Ramond sector of the deformed two-dimensional $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (4, 4) superconformal (T4)N/SN orbifold theory, describing bound states of D1-D5 brane system in type IIB superstring. We derive the large-N limit of the four-point function of two R-charged twisted Ramond fields and two marginal deformation operators at the free orbifold point. Specific short-distance limits of this function provide several structure constants, the OPE fusion rules and the conformal dimensions of a few non-BPS operators. The second order correction (in the deformation parameter) to the two-point function of the Ramond fields, defined as double integrals over this four-point function, turns out to be UV-divergent, requiring an appropriate renormalization of the fields. We calculate the corrections to the conformal dimensions of the twisted Ramond ground states at the large-N limit. The same integral yields the first-order deviation from zero of the structure constant of the three-point function of two Ramond fields and one deformation operator. Similar results concerning the correction to the two-point function of bare twist operators and their renormalization are also obtained.

Two-photon processes in conformal QCD: resummation of the descendants of leading-twist operators

Using some techniques of conformal field theories, we find a closed expression for the contribution of leading twist operators and their descendants, obtained by adding total derivatives, to the operator product expansion (OPE) of two electromagnetic currents in QCD. Our expression resums contributions of all twists and to all orders in perturbation theory up to corrections proportional to the QCD β-function. At tree level and to twist-four accuracy, our result agrees with the expression derived earlier by a different method. The results are directly applicable to deeply-virtual Compton scattering and, e.g., γγ∗ annihilation in two mesons. As a byproduct, we derive a simple representation for the OPE of two scalar currents that is convenient for applications.

Loops in dS/CFT

We consider the semi-classical expansion of the Bunch-Davies wavefunction with future boundary condition in position space for a real scalar field, conformally coupled to a classical de Sitter background in the expanding Poincaré patch with quartic selfinteraction. In the future boundary limit the wave function takes the form of the generating functional of a Euclidean conformal field theory for which we calculate the anomalous dimensions of the double trace deformations at one loop order using results obtained from Euclidean Anti de Sitter space. We find analytic expressions for some subleading twist operators and an algorithm to obtain expressions for general twist.

The unique Polyakov blocks

In this work we present a closed form expression for Polyakov blocks in Mellin space for arbitrary spin and scaling dimensions. We provide a prescription to fix the contact term ambiguity uniquely by reducing the problem to that of fixing the contact term ambiguity at the level of cyclic exchange amplitudes — defining cyclic Polyakov blocks — in terms of which any fully crossing symmetric correlator can be decomposed. We also give another, equivalent, prescription which does not rely on a decomposition into cyclic amplitudes. We extract the OPE data of double-twist operators in the direct channel expansion of the cyclic Polyakov blocks using and extending the analysis of [1, 2] to include contributions that are non-analytic in spin. The relation between cyclic Polyakov blocks and analytic Bootstrap functionals is underlined.