Analytic Bounds and Emergence of $\textrm{AdS}_2$ Physics from the Conformal Bootstrap

TL;DR

This paper develops new analytical tools to derive bounds on operator spectra in low-dimensional conformal field theories, revealing connections to AdS2 physics and scattering properties.

Contribution

Introduction of a new class of linear functionals for the conformal bootstrap, leading to optimal bounds and insights into AdS2 emergence from crossing symmetry.

Findings

Optimal upper bound on the gap above the identity in 1D OPEs.

Upper bound on the twist gap in 2D theories.

Exponential suppression of OPE coefficients indicating massive bound states.

Abstract

We study analytically the constraints of the conformal bootstrap on the low-lying spectrum of operators in field theories with global conformal symmetry in one and two spacetime dimensions. We introduce a new class of linear functionals acting on the conformal bootstrap equation. In 1D, we use the new basis to construct extremal functionals leading to the optimal upper bound on the gap above identity in the OPE of two identical primary operators of integer or half-integer scaling dimension. We also prove an upper bound on the twist gap in 2D theories with global conformal symmetry. When the external scaling dimensions are large, our functionals provide a direct point of contact between crossing in a 1D CFT and scattering of massive particles in large $\textrm{AdS}_2$. In particular, CFT crossing can be shown to imply that appropriate OPE coefficients exhibit an exponential suppression characteristic of massive bound states, and that the 2D flat-space S-matrix should be analytic away from the real axis.