Entanglement entropy in critical quantum spin chains with boundaries and defects

TL;DR

This paper investigates how boundaries and defects influence the universal entanglement entropy in critical quantum spin chains, combining analytical boundary state methods with numerical simulations for the Ising and XXZ models.

Contribution

It provides analytical and numerical analysis of universal entanglement entropy contributions due to boundaries and defects in critical spin chains, extending conformal field theory insights.

Findings

Universal boundary contributions to EE are computed analytically.

Defects alter both leading and subleading EE terms.

Numerical results support analytical predictions.

Abstract

Entanglement entropy (EE) in critical quantum spin chains described by 1+1D conformal field theories contains signatures of the universal characteristics of the field theory. Boundaries and defects in the spin chain give rise to universal contributions in the EE. In this work, we analyze these universal contributions for the critical Ising and XXZ spin chains for different conformal boundary conditions and defects. For the spin chains with boundaries, we use the boundary states for the corresponding continuum theories to compute the subleading contribution to the EE analytically and provide supporting numerical computation for the spin chains. Subsequently, we analyze the behavior of EE in the presence of conformal defects for the two spin chains and describe the change in both the leading logarithmic and subleading terms in the EE.