Logarithmic corrections to the free energy from sharp corners with angle $2\pi$

TL;DR

This paper investigates logarithmic corrections to the corner free energy in 2D critical systems with an angle of 2π, revealing a semi-universal correction influenced by the geometry and central charge, with applications to quantum quenches.

Contribution

It identifies a novel $L^{-1} ext{log}L$ correction for the corner free energy at angle 2π and relates it to boundary effects, geometry, and the central charge of the CFT.

Findings

Discovered a $L^{-1} ext{log}L$ correction in corner free energy for angle 2π.

Confirmed the correction through exact results in XX and Ising chains.

Applied the findings to quantum quenches, revealing $L^{-2}$ and $L^{-2} ext{log}L$ corrections in entanglement entropy and Loschmidt echo.

Abstract

We study subleading corrections to the corner free energy in classical two-dimensional critical systems, focusing on a generic boundary perturbation by the stress-tensor of the underlying conformal field theory (CFT). In the particular case of an angle $2\pi$, we find that there is an unusual correction of the form $L^{-1}\log L$, where $L$ is a typical length scale in the system. This correction also affects the one-point function of an operator near the corner. The prefactor can be seen as semi-universal, in the sense that it depends on a \emph{single} non-universal quantity, the extrapolation length. Once this ultraviolet cutoff is known, the term is entirely fixed by the geometry of the system, and the central charge of the CFT. Such a corner appears for example in the bipartite fidelity of a one-dimensional quantum system at criticality, which allows for several numerical checks in free fermions systems. We also present an exact result in the XX and Ising chains that confirms this analysis. Finally, we consider applications to the time evolution of the (logarithmic) Loschmidt echo and the entanglement entropy following a local quantum quench. Due to subtle issues in analytic continuation, we find that the logarithmic term in imaginary time transforms into a time-dependent $L^{-2}$ correction for the entanglement entropy, and a $L^{-2}\log L$ term for the Loschmidt echo.