Universal corner entanglement from twist operators

TL;DR

This paper uncovers a universal relation connecting corner contributions in entanglement and Re9nyi entropies to twist operator scaling dimensions in 3D CFTs, with implications for holography and other dimensions.

Contribution

It establishes a simple, universal relation between corner Re9nyi entropy coefficients and twist operator dimensions, extending previous results and applying to various theories.

Findings

Derived the relation h_n/c3_n=(n-1)c0 for twist operators and corner coefficients.

Validated the relation for free scalar and fermion theories.

Predicted corner coefficients for holographic CFTs and connected to thermal entropy.

Abstract

The entanglement entropy in three-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) receives a logarithmic contribution characterized by a regulator-independent function $a(\theta)$ when the entangling surface contains a sharp corner with opening angle $\theta$. In the limit of a smooth surface ($\theta\rightarrow\pi$), this corner contribution vanishes as $a(\theta)=\sigma\,(\theta-\pi)^2$. In arXiv:1505.04804, we provided evidence for the conjecture that for any $d=3$ CFT, this corner coefficient $\sigma$ is determined by $C_T$, the coefficient appearing in the two-point function of the stress tensor. Here, we argue that this is a particular instance of a much more general relation connecting the analogous corner coefficient $\sigma_n$ appearing in the $n$th R\'enyi entropy and the scaling dimension $h_n$ of the corresponding twist operator. In particular, we find the simple relation $h_n/\sigma_n=(n-1)\pi$. We show how it reduces to our previous result as $n\rightarrow 1$, and explicitly check its validity for free scalars and fermions. With this new relation, we show that as $n\rightarrow 0$, $\sigma_n$ yields the coefficient of the thermal entropy, $c_S$. We also reveal a surprising duality relating the corner coefficients of the scalar and the fermion. Further, we use our result to predict $\sigma_n$ for holographic CFTs dual to four-dimensional Einstein gravity. Our findings generalize to other dimensions, and we emphasize the connection to the interval R\'enyi entropies of $d=2$ CFTs.