arXiv subjects

Bobby Ezhuthachan

Publications and source records attributed to Bobby Ezhuthachan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Imprints of dynamical phases in semiclassical entanglement entropy in 2D CFT

We study the time evolution of semiclassical entanglement entropy in a class of $sl(2,\mathbb{R})$ driven states in a large $c$ conformal field theory (CFT) in $1+1$ spacetime dimensions. Upon varying the parameters of the drive, we find that the entanglement entropy exhibits the signature of the dynamical phases of the driven CFT. We further study the holographic dual of this CFT where the excited states of a minimally coupled scalar in $AdS_3$ induce a backreaction that modifies the background geometry. We compute the back reacted geometry by solving Einstein's equation with the expectation value of the stress tensor in the coherent state as the source term. Subsequently, we calculate the time evolution of the perturbed minimal area and the bulk entanglement entropy at $O(G_N^0)$, up to the sub-leading order in short distance approximation. These results match the CFT entanglement entropy in the boundary at $O(c^0)$, and serve as a nontrivial check of the Faulkner-Lewkowycz-Maldacena (FLM) conjecture for the first quantum correction of holographic entanglement entropy. The details of the check has been provided in the accompanying ancillary notebook.

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arXiv2024

Notes on heating phase dynamics in Floquet CFTs and Modular quantization

In this article, we explore the connection between the heating phase of periodically driven CFTs and the Modular Hamiltonian of a subregion in the vacuum state. We show that the heating phase Hamiltonian corresponds to the Modular Hamiltonian, with the fixed points mapping to the endpoints of the subregion. In the bulk dual, we find that these fixed points correspond to the Ryu-Takayanagi surface of the AdS-Rindler wedge. Consequently, the entanglement entropy associated to the boundary interval within two fixed points exactly matches with the Rindler entropy of AdS-Rindler. We observe the emergent Virasoro algebra in the boundary quantization of the Modular Hamiltonian has a striking similarity with the emergent near Horizon Virasoro algebra. This is a consequence of the fact that while obtaining the boundary Virasoro algebra, a cut-off with conformal boundary condition around the fixed point is introduced, which in the bulk is related to a stretched horizon, with an emergent two-dimensional conformal symmetry. We also argue that as one tunes the parameter space of Floquet Hamiltonians to transition from the non-heating to the heating phase the operator algebra type changes from Von Neumann type $I$ to $III_1$ factor, providing a non-equilibrium analogue of the Hawking-Page transition.

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arXiv2024

Moving Mirrors, OTOCs and Scrambling

We explore the physics of scrambling in the moving mirror models, in which a two-dimensional CFT is subjected to a time-dependent boundary condition. It is well-known that by choosing an appropriate mirror profile, one can model quantum aspects of black holes in two-dimensions, ranging from Hawking radiation in an eternal black hole (for an "escaping mirror") to the recent realization of Page curve in evaporating black holes (for a "kink mirror"). We explore a class of OTOCs in the presence of such a boundary and explicitly demonstrate the following primary aspects: First, we show that the dynamical CFT data directly affect an OTOC and maximally chaotic scrambling occurs for the escaping mirror for a large-$c$ CFT with identity block dominance. We further show that the exponential growth of OTOC associated with the physics of scrambling yields a power-law growth in the model for evaporating black holes which demonstrates a unitary dynamics in terms of a Page curve. We also demonstrate that, by tuning a parameter, one can naturally interpolate between an exponential growth associated to scrambling and a power-law growth in unitary dynamics. Our work explicitly exhibits the role of higher-point functions in CFT dynamics as well as the distinction between scrambling and Page curve. We also discuss several future possibilities based on this class of models.

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arXiv2022

Brane Detectors of a Dynamical Phase Transition in a Driven CFT

We show that a dynamical transition from a non-heating to a heating phase of a periodic $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ driven two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) with a large central charge is perceived as a first order transition by a bulk brane embedded in the dual AdS. We construct the dual bulk metric corresponding to a driven CFT for both the heating and the non-heating phases. These metrics are different AdS$_{2}$ slices of the pure AdS$_{3}$ metric. We embed a brane in the obtained dual AdS space and provide an explicit computation of its free energy both in the probe limit and for an end-of-world (EOW) brane taking into account its backreaction. Our analysis indicates a finite discontinuity in the first derivative of the brane free energy as one moves from the non-heating to the heating phase (by tuning the drive amplitude and/or frequency of the driven CFT) thus demonstrating the presence of the bulk first order transition. Interestingly, no such transition is perceived by the bulk in the absence of the brane. We also provide explicit computations of two-point, four-point out-of-time correlators (OTOC) using the bulk picture. Our analysis shows that the structure of these correlators in different phases match their counterparts computed in the driven CFT. We analyze the effect of multiple EOW branes in the bulk and discuss possible extensions of our work for richer geometries and branes.

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arXiv2022

Out-of-Time-Order correlators in driven conformal field theories

We compute Out-of-Time-Order correlators (OTOCs) for conformal field theories (CFTs) subjected to either continuous or discrete periodic drive protocols. This is achieved by an appropriate analytic continuation of the stroboscopic time. After detailing the general structure, we perform explicit calculations in large-$c$ CFTs where we find that OTOCs display an exponential, an oscillatory and a power-law behaviour in the heating phase, the non-heating phase and on the phase boundary, respectively. In contrast to this, for the Ising CFT representing an integrable model, OTOCs never display such exponential growth. This observation hints towards how OTOCs can demarcate between integrable and chaotic CFT models subjected to a periodic drive. We further explore properties of the light-cone which is characterized by the corresponding butterfly velocity as well as the Lyapunov exponent. Interestingly, as a consequence of the spatial inhomogeneity introduced by the drive, the butterfly velocity, in these systems, has an explicit dependence on the initial location of the operators. We chart out the dependence of the Lyapunov exponent and the butterfly velocities on the frequency and amplitude of the drive for both protocols and discuss the fixed point structure which differentiates such driven CFTs from their un-driven counterparts.

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arXiv2021

Critical Quenches, OTOCs and Early-Time Chaos

In this article, we explore dynamical aspects of Out-of-Time-Order correlators (OTOCs) for critical quenches, in which an initial non-trivial state evolves with a CFT-Hamiltonian. At sufficiently large time, global critical quenches exhibit a universal thermal-behaviour in terms of low-point correlators. We demonstrate that, under such a quench, OTOCs demarcate chaotic CFTs from integrable CFTs by exhibiting a characteristic exponential Lyapunov growth for the former. Upon perturbatively introducing inhomogeneity to the global quench, we further argue and demonstrate with an example that, such a perturbation parameter can induce a parametrically large scrambling time, even for a CFT with an order one central charge. This feature may be relevant in designing measurement protocols for non-trivial OTOCs, in general. Both our global and inhomogeneous quench results bode well for an upper bound on the corresponding Lyapunov exponent, that may hold outside thermal equilibrium.

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arXiv2021

Virasoro algebras, kinematic space and the spectrum of modular Hamiltonians in CFT$_2$

We construct an infinite class of eigenmodes with integer eigenvalues for the Vacuum Modular Hamiltonian of a single interval $N$ in 2d CFT and study some of its interesting properties, which includes its action on OPE blocks as well as its bulk duals. Our analysis suggests that these eigenmodes, like the OPE blocks have a natural description on the so called kinematic space of CFT$_2$ and in particular realize the Virasoro algebra of the theory on this kinematic space. Taken together, our results hints at the possibility of an effective description of the CFT$_2$ in the kinematic space language.

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arXiv2019

Real Time Dynamics in Low Point Correlators in 2d BCFT

In this article, we demonstrate how a 3-point correlation function can capture the out-of-time-ordered features of a higher point correlation function, in the context of a conformal field theory (CFT) with a boundary, in two dimensions. Our general analyses of the analytic structures are independent of the details of the CFT and the operators, however, to demonstrate a Lyapunov growth we focus on the Virasoro identity block in large-c CFT's. Motivated by this, we also show that the phenomenon of pole-skipping is present in a 2-point correlation function in a two-dimensional CFT with a boundary. This pole-skipping is related, by an analytic continuation, to the maximal Lyapunov exponent for maximally chaotic systems. Our results hint that, the dynamical content of higher point correlation functions, in certain cases, may be encrypted within low-point correlation functions, and analytic properties thereof.

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arXiv2019

Classical Monopole Solutions to $\mathcal{N}=3$ Chern-Simons-Yang-Mills Theories

We construct the component action and supersymmetry transformations of the $\mathcal{N} = 3$ Chern-Simons-Yang-Mills theory that flows in the infra red to the $\mathcal{N} = 3$ super conformal quiver Chern-Simons gauge theory obtained by Jafferis and Tomasiello in \cite{Jafferis:2008qz}. We then obtain classical $\frac{1}{3}$-BPS (and anti-BPS) solutions all along the RG flow. The solutions display a rich structure, for example, there is a non-trivial moduli space. Various properties of supersymmetric monopole operators in the infra red super conformal field theory, such as global charges and scaling dimensions can be derived from the monopole solutions we obtain in this paper; along the lines of the work of Benna, Klebanov and Klose in \cite{Benna:2009xd}.

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arXiv2019

Spectrum of Modular Hamiltonian in the Vacuum and Excited States

We study the non-zero eigenmodes for the modular Hamiltonian in the context of AdS$_3/$CFT$_2$. We show how to perturbatively construct zero eigenmodes for the modular Hamiltonian of the class of excited states constructed in Lashkari et al.(arxiv:1811.05052), using information about the vacuum non-zero eigen modular modes.

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arXiv2018

Modular Hamiltonians and large diffeomorphisms in $AdS_3$

We generalize the work of Kabat and Lifshytz (arXiv:1703.06523), of reconstructing bulk scalar fields using the intersecting modular hamiltonian approach discussed therein, to any locally $AdS_3$ space related to $AdS_3$ by large diffeomorphisms. We present several checks for our result including matcing with their result in appropriate limits as well as consistency with bulk diffeomorphisms. As a further check, from our expressions we also compute the first correction due to gravitational dressing to the bulk scalar field in $AdS_3$ and match with known results in the literature.

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arXiv2018

Entanglement entropy and kinematic space in BCFT and RG flow

The relation between kinematic space metric and entanglement entropy provides us with a differential equation for entanglement entropy. For BCFT on upper half plane we solve this equation to obtain an expression for entanglement entropy consistent with known results in the literature. We also discuss how this relation can be used to recast the RG flow, under relevant deformations of a CFT, as a flow in the space of kinematic space metrics.

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arXiv2017

Wald type analysis for spin-one fields in three dimensions

We revisit Walds analysis in the context of spin-one fields in three dimensions. A key technical difference from Walds is the role played by the three dimensional completely antisymmetric tensor. We show how this changes the analysis as well as the result.

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arXiv2011

BPS solutions in ABJM theory and Maximal Super Yang-Mills on RxS^2

We investigate BPS solutions in ABJM theory on RxS^2. We find new BPS solutions, which have nonzero angular momentum as well as nontrivial configurations of fluxes. Applying the "Higgsing procedure" of arxiv:0803.3218 around a 1/2-BPS solution of ABJM theory, one obtains N=8 super Yang-Mills (SYM) on RxS^2. We also show that other BPS solutions of the SYM can be obtained from BPS solutions of ABJM theory by this higgsing procedure.

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arXiv2009

The Power of the Higgs Mechanism: Higher-Derivative BLG Theories

We use the novel Higgs mechanism of arXiv:0803.3218 to determine the leading higher-derivative corrections to the Euclidean N = 8 Bagger-Lambert-Gustavsson field theory. The result matches that previously found for Lorentzian 3-algebras, pointing to a universal answer for all maximally supersymmetric 3-algebra theories. We also comment on the extension to the lower-supersymmetric case of ABJM theory.

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arXiv2008

D2 to D2

Starting from maximally supersymmetric (2+1)d Yang-Mills theory and using a duality transformation due to de Wit, Nicolai and Samtleben, we obtain the ghost-free Lorentzian 3-algebra theory that has recently been proposed to describe M2-branes. Our derivation does not invoke any properties of 3-algebras. Being derivable from SYM, the final theory is manifestly equivalent to it on-shell and should not be thought of as the IR limit that describes M2-branes, though it does have enhanced R-symmetry as well as superconformal symmetry off-shell.

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arXiv2006

Plasma balls/kinks as solitons of large $N$ confining gauge theories

We discuss finite regions of the deconfining phase of a confining gauge theory (plasma balls/kinks) as solitons of the large $N$, long wavelength, effective Lagrangian of the thermal gauge theory expressed in terms of suitable order parameters. We consider a class of confining gauge theories whose effective Lagrangian turns out to be a generic 1 dim. unitary matrix model. The dynamics of this matrix model can be studied by an exact mapping to a non-relativistic many fermion problem on a circle. We present an approximate solution to the equations of motion which corresponds to the motion (in Euclidean time) of the Fermi surface interpolating between the phase where the fermions are uniformly distributed on the circle (confinement phase) and the phase where the fermion distribution has a gap on the circle (deconfinement phase). We later self-consistently verify that the approximation is a good one. We discuss some properties and implications of the solution including the surface tension which turns out to be positive. As a by product of our investigation we point out the problem of obtaining time dependent solutions in the collective field theory formalism due to generic shock formation.

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arXiv2006

Fractional two-branes, toric orbifolds and the quantum McKay correspondence

We systematically study and obtain the large-volume analogues of fractional two-branes on resolutions of orbifolds C^3/Z_n. We study a generalisation of the McKay correspondence proposed in hep-th/0504164 called the quantum McKay correspondence by constructing duals to the fractional two-branes. Details are explicitly worked out for two examples -- the crepant resolutions of C^3/Z_3 and C^3/Z_5.

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