On the Quantum Information Content of a Hawking Pair

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to track the quantum information in Hawking pairs, revealing a macroscopic geometric transition affecting information transfer from black holes.

Contribution

It presents a novel probe and semi-classical replica method to analyze the quantum information content of Hawking pairs and their relation to black hole horizon geometry.

Findings

Information transfer is triggered by a macroscopic geometric transition.

The entropy of Hawking pairs can be computed using a semi-classical replica approach.

The results connect to recent holographic insights involving von Neumann algebras.

Abstract

We introduce a new probe designed to keep track of the quantum information content of a Hawking pair as a function of the distance from the black hole horizon. We compute the entropy content of this Hawking pair probe via a semi-classical replica method that relies on free field Wick contractions and their leading order gravitational back reaction on the black hole horizon area. We find that the information transfer from the black hole state to the Hawking pair is triggered by a geometric transition that, somewhat surprisingly, takes place at a macroscopic distance from the horizon. We relate our computation to recent insights about the role of von Neumann algebras in holography.