Multi-Boundary Entanglement in Chern-Simons Theory and Link Invariants

TL;DR

This paper explores how entanglement entropy in Chern-Simons theory on 3-manifolds with linked boundaries defines link invariants, revealing deep connections between quantum information, knot theory, and number theory.

Contribution

It provides explicit formulas for entanglement entropy in Abelian Chern-Simons theory and analyzes entanglement structures of various links in non-Abelian cases.

Findings

Entanglement entropy detects linking mod k in Abelian theory.

Hopf link exhibits maximal entanglement, akin to Bell pairs.

Borromean rings show W-like entanglement structure.

Abstract

We consider Chern-Simons theory for gauge group $G$ at level $k$ on 3-manifolds $M_n$ with boundary consisting of $n$ topologically linked tori. The Euclidean path integral on $M_n$ defines a quantum state on the boundary, in the $n$-fold tensor product of the torus Hilbert space. We focus on the case where $M_n$ is the link-complement of some $n$-component link inside the three-sphere $S^3$. The entanglement entropies of the resulting states define framing-independent link invariants which are sensitive to the topology of the chosen link. For the Abelian theory at level $k$ ($G= U(1)_k$) we give a general formula for the entanglement entropy associated to an arbitrary $(m|n-m)$ partition of a generic $n$-component link into sub-links. The formula involves the number of solutions to certain Diophantine equations with coefficients related to the Gauss linking numbers (mod $k$) between the two sublinks. This formula connects simple concepts in quantum information theory, knot theory, and number theory, and shows that entanglement entropy between sublinks vanishes if and only if they have zero Gauss linking (mod $k$). For $G = SU(2)_k$, we study various two and three component links. We show that the 2-component Hopf link is maximally entangled, and hence analogous to a Bell pair, and that the Whitehead link, which has zero Gauss linking, nevertheless has entanglement entropy. Finally, we show that the Borromean rings have a "W-like" entanglement structure (i.e., tracing out one torus does not lead to a separable state), and give examples of other 3-component links which have "GHZ-like" entanglement (i.e., tracing out one torus does lead to a separable state).