arXiv subjects

Javier Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to Javier Moreno.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Logarithmic correction to the entropy of near-extremal higher-curvature black holes

The spherically symmetric sector of broad classes of $D$-dimensional gravitational theories can be effectively described by general two-dimensional Horndeski theories. Exploiting this correspondence, we study the low-temperature dynamics of near-extremal black hole solutions of the parent theories by deriving a universal near-horizon effective description in terms of Jackiw--Teitelboim (JT) gravity. We explicitly show that the logarithmic quantum correction to the entropy, $S_{\rm JT}=\frac{3}{2}\log \left(T/T_{\rm breakdown} \right)$, previously derived for near-extremal black holes in Einstein gravity coupled to matter from the one-loop exact JT partition function, is universal across all models admitting an effective two-dimensional Horndeski description. We determine the general form of the scale at which this correction becomes dominant, $T_{\rm breakdown}$, in terms of the data of the $D$-dimensional theories. We illustrate our general results with charged black holes in Lovelock gravities and regular black holes in Quasitopological gravities.

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arXiv2026

de Sitter holography from a Lorentzian torus

We show that the quantum entanglement between the conformal field theories (CFTs) living on the future and past boundaries in the de Sitter/conformal field theory (dS/CFT) correspondence can be described by Wick rotating to a geometry with two timelike directions. We propose a new realization of the dS/CFT correspondence in which quantum gravity on this two-time geometry is holographically dual to a CFT defined on a Lorentzian torus. We show that this duality reproduces key features of dS holography, including the dS entropy, correlation functions, and pseudoentropy. Finally, by extending the framework of path-integral optimization, we explain how dS spacetime emerges from the CFT on the Lorentzian torus.

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arXiv2026

The Steklov spectrum of convex polygonal domains II: investigating spectral determination

The extent to which the geometry of an object is determined by some associated spectral data is a longstanding problem. We investigate this problem in the context of the Steklov spectrum, focusing on convex polygons. We prove that almost all triangles are uniquely determined by their Steklov spectra within the class of all triangles; further results depending on the types of angles in the triangles are given. We examine three special classes of convex quadrilaterals--rectangles, parallelograms, and kites--and obtain results ranging from unique spectral determination to determination up to three possibilities. For regular $n$-gons, we are again able to prove spectral determination within certain classes of polygons. More generally, we investigate the extent to which the Steklov spectrum distinguishes convex polygons from simply-connected domains with smooth boundary; that is, does the Steklov spectrum detect corners? We prove that triangles and quadrilaterals are spectrally distinguished from such smoothly bounded domains; moreover, we show that having the same Steklov spectrum as such a domain imposes substantial restrictions on the edge lengths of higher-order $n$-gons. Throughout, our main tool is the characteristic polynomial developed in works by Stanislav Krymski, Michael Levitin, Leonid Parnovski, Iosif Polterovich, and David A. Sher.

math.DG↗

arXiv2026

Entanglement entropy and conformal bounds for $d=5$ CFTs

The entanglement entropy of spacetime regions $A$ in odd-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) contains a universal constant term, $(-1)^{\frac{d-1}{2}}F(A)$. This quantity can be robustly defined by considering the mutual information of pairs of slightly deformed versions of $A$. In the case of general three-dimensional CFTs, $F(A)$ is positive definite and bounded below by the round disk result, $F(A)\geq F_0\equiv F(\partial A=\mathbb{S}^1)$. Additionally, strong evidence has been provided that for every region $A$, $F(A)/F_0$ is maximized, within the space of CFT$_3$'s, by the free scalar field result. In this paper we show that while $F(A)$ remains a local minimum around $F_0\equiv F(\partial A=\mathbb{S}^3)$ for small deformations of the spherical entangling surface, it can take values of arbitrarily large magnitude with either sign for more general regions, and hence it is neither upper- nor lower-bounded in general CFT$_5$'s. We argue that an analogous conjecture regarding the extremization of $F(A)/F_0$ for general regions within the space of theories fails in $d=5$. We instead analyze the viability of the weaker bound, $F_{\epsilon}/F_0\leq \left[F_{\epsilon}/F_0\right]_{\text{free scalar}}$, $\forall$CFT$_5$ for general small geometric deformations of the spherical entangling surface. This is equivalent to a general constraint involving the stress-tensor two-point function $C_T$ and the Euclidean partition function on the sphere, namely, $C_T/F_0\leq \left[C_T/F_0\right]_{\text{ free scalar}}\approx 0.314$, which we show to hold for all known CFT$_5$'s. We also comment on possible extensions of this result to higher dimensions.

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arXiv2026

Renormalized pseudoentropy in dS/CFT

We study holographic pseudoentropy for subregions in non-unitary Euclidean conformal field theories (CFTs) within the framework of the de Sitter/conformal field theory (dS/CFT) correspondence. Pseudoentropy, defined as the von Neumann entropy of a transition matrix, is computed holographically from codimension-two extremal surfaces in dS space and is divergent due to the asymptotic bulk volume at future infinity. We show that a finite and regulator-independent definition follows from the on-shell action of conformal gravity in four and six dimensions, implemented through the replica construction. We illustrate the formalism for spherical entangling surfaces and small shape deformations thereof. The renormalized pseudoentropy isolates the universal contribution, which for a spherical entangling surface is proportional to the complex-valued central charge $a^\star$ of the non-unitary CFT. On an equal footing, for infinitesimal deformations away from the sphere, we recover, at quadratic order in the deformation parameter, an analytic continuation of the Mezei-like formula in its anti-de Sitter counterpart.

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arXiv2025

Universality of pseudoentropy for deformed spheres in dS/CFT

We determine the universal part of pseudoentropy for small shape deformations of spherical entangling surfaces in the context of de Sitter/conformal field theory (dS/CFT) correspondence. The leading correction at quadratic order in the deformation parameter is controlled by the analytic continuation of the coefficient of the two-point stress-energy tensor correlator in AdS/CFT (i.e., $\left. L_{*} \right|_{\text{AdS}}\rightarrow -i \left. L_{*} \right|_{\text{dS}}$), thereby establishing the sphere as a local extremum. The same structure holds in higher-curvature theories, as we check explicitly for quadratic curvature gravity, suggesting a universal behavior across non-unitary holographic CFTs. Our findings extend the Mezei formula to the dS/CFT setting and indicate that the shape dependence of pseudoentropy in dS holography resembles that of entanglement entropy in AdS space. Thus, we conjecture this coefficient to be the $C_T$ for the non-unitary CFT dual.

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arXiv2025

Holographic explorations of regular black holes in pure gravity

It has been recently established in \textit{Phys.Lett.B 861 (2025) 139260} that regular, asymptotically flat black holes exist in pure gravity theories in dimension greater than four. We extend this result to asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetimes and perform bottom-up holographic explorations: Hawking-Page phase transitions, quasinormal modes of black holes providing decay times of excitations in the finite temperature conformal field theory and U-shaped string probes leading to the quark-antiquark potential in the dual field theory. The gravitational action contains a bared, negative cosmological constant and an Einstein-Hilbert term, supplemented by an infinite series of higher-curvature terms of the family known as Quasi-topological (QT) Lagrangians, leading to a lapse function in terms of infinite series which can be resumed to an analytic function for different coupling choices. The QT terms are defined as those satisfying a Birkhoff's theorem and possessing a holographic c-function, and exist at all orders in the curvature, for arbitrary dimension greater than four. Besides presenting the general formulae, we explore the physics of three specific cases leading to Hayward, Dymnikova and Bardeen-like regular black holes. We also found the field redefinition that permits recasting the $\alpha'^3 W^4$ correction of Type IIB supergravity on $\mathcal{A}_5\times S^5$ as a series of QT terms. Before finishing, beyond holography, we also provide an extended thermodynamic setup, that via variations of the dimensionful $\alpha$ and $L$, allow obtaining the Euler relation between finite thermodynamical quantities for the black hole of the theory.

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arXiv2025

Conformal dispersion relation for mixed correlators

Dispersion relations are nonperturbative formulas that relate the ultraviolet and infrared behavior of an observable with wide-ranging applications applications in linear response theory, quantum field theory scattering amplitudes, and conformal correlators. We derive a position-space dispersion relation for scalar four-point mixed correlation functions in an arbitrary conformal field theory. This formula expresses the correlator in terms of its integrated double discontinuity times a kinematic kernel. The kernel is analytically computed, and expressed in a remarkably simple form as a two-variable Appell function. The dispersion kernel is found by solving a coupled partial differential equation that the kernel obeys. Numerical checks of the dispersion relation are successfully performed for generalized free field correlators. Finally, we show that our position-space dispersion relation is equivalent to a Cauchy-type dispersion relation of the Mellin amplitude of the correlator.

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arXiv2025

On regular charged black holes in three dimensions

As argued in arXiv:2104.10172, introducing a non-minimally coupled scalar field, three-dimensional Einstein gravity can be extended by infinite families of theories which admit simple analytic generalizations of the charged BTZ black hole. Depending on the gravitational couplings, the solutions may describe black holes with one or several horizons and with curvature or BTZ-like singularities. In other cases, the metric function behaves as $f(r)\overset{(r\rightarrow 0)}{\sim} \mathcal{O}(r^{2s})$ with $s\geq 1$, and the black holes are completely regular -- a feature unique to three dimensions. Regularity arises generically i.e., without requiring any fine-tuning of parameters. In this paper we show that all these theories satisfy Birkhoff theorems, so that the most general spherically-symmetric solutions are given by the corresponding static black holes. We perform a thorough characterization of the Penrose diagrams of the solutions, finding a rich structure which includes, in particular, cases which tessellate the plane and others in which the diagrams cannot be drawn in a single plane. We also study the motion of probe particles on the black holes, finding that observers falling to regular black holes reach the center after a finite proper time. Contrary to the singular cases, the particles are not torn apart by tidal forces, so they oscillate between antipodal points describing many-universe orbits. We argue that in those cases the region $r=0$ can be interpreted as a horizon with vanishing surface gravity, giving rise to generic inner-extremal regular black hole solutions. We also analyze the deep interior region of the solutions identifying the presence of Kasner eons and the conditions under which they take place. Finally, we construct new black hole solutions in the case in which infinite towers of terms are included in the action.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Higher-dimensional Willmore energy as holographic entanglement entropy

The vacuum entanglement entropy of a general conformal field theory (CFT) in $d=5$ spacetime dimensions contains a universal term, $F(A)$, which has a complicated and non-local dependence on the geometric details of the region $A$ and the theory. Analogously to the previously known $d=3$ case, we prove that for CFTs in $d=5$ which are holographically dual to Einstein gravity, $F(A)$ is equal to a four-dimensional version of the ``Willmore energy'' associated to a doubled and closed version of the Ryu-Takayanagi (RT) surface of $A$ embedded in $\mathbb{R}^5$. This generalized Willmore energy is shown to arise from a conformal-invariant codimension-two functional obtained by evaluating six-dimensional Conformal Gravity on the conically-singular orbifold of the replica trick. The new functional involves an integral over the doubled RT surface of a linear combination of three quartic terms in extrinsic curvatures and is free from ultraviolet divergences by construction. We verify explicitly the validity of our new formula for various entangling regions and argue that, as opposed to the $d=3$ case, $F(A)$ is not globally minimized by a round ball $A=\mathbb{B}^4$. Rather, $F(A)$ can take arbitrarily positive and negative values as a function of $A$. Hence, we conclude that the round ball is not a global minimizer of $F(A)$ for general five-dimensional CFTs.

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arXiv2024

The Steklov spectrum of convex polygonal domains I: spectral finiteness

We explore the Steklov eigenvalue problem on convex polygons, focusing mainly on the inverse Steklov problem. Our primary finding reveals that, for almost all convex polygonal domains, there exist at most finitely many non-congruent domains with the same Steklov spectrum. Moreover, we obtain explicit upper bounds for the maximum number of mutually Steklov isospectral non-congruent polygonal domains. Along the way, we obtain isoperimetric bounds for the Steklov eigenvalues of a convex polygon in terms of the minimal interior angle of the polygon.

math.SP↗

arXiv2024

Quantum backreactions in (A)dS3 massive gravity and logarithmic asymptotic behavior

We study the interplay between higher curvature terms and the backreaction of quantum fluctuations in 3-dimensional massive gravity in asymptotically (Anti-)de Sitter space. We focus on the theory at the special point of the parameter space where the two maximally symmetric vacua coincide. In the case of positive cosmological constant, this corresponds to the partially massless point, at which the classical theory admits de Sitter black holes and exhibits an extra conformal symmetry at linear level. We explicitly find the quantum corrected black hole geometry in the semiclassical approximation and show that it induces a relaxation of the standard asymptotic conditions. Nonetheless, the new asymptotic behavior is still preserved by an infinite-dimensional algebra, which, in addition to Virasoro, contains logarithmic supertranslations. Finally, we show that all the results we obtain for the quadratic massive gravity theory can be extended to theories including cubic and quartic terms in the curvature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Higher-curvature gravity in AdS$_3$, holographic $c$-theorems and black hole microstates

We construct higher-derivative gravity theories in three dimensions that admit holographic $c$-theorems and exhibit a unique maximally symmetric vacuum, at arbitrary order $n$ in the curvature. We show that these theories exhibit special properties, the most salient ones being the decoupling of ghost modes around Anti-de Sitter (AdS) space, the enhancement of symmetries at linearized level, and the existence of a one-parameter generalization of the Ba\~nados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) black hole that, while being asymptotically AdS, is not of constant curvature but rather exhibits a curvature singularity. For such black holes, we provide a holographic derivation of their thermodynamics. This gives a microscopic picture of black hole thermodynamics for non-supersymmetric solutions, of non-constant curvature in higher-derivative theories of arbitrary order in the curvature.

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arXiv2023

Cosmological higher-curvature gravities

We examine higher-curvature gravities whose FLRW configurations are specified by equations of motion which are of second order in derivatives, just like in Einstein gravity. We name these theories Cosmological Gravities and initiate a systematic exploration in dimensions $D \geq 3$. First, we derive an instance of Cosmological Gravity to all curvature orders and dimensions $D \geq 3$. Second, we study Cosmological Gravities admitting non-hairy generalizations of the Schwarzschild solution characterized by a single function whose equation of motion is, at most, of second order in derivatives. We present explicit instances of such theories for all curvature orders and dimensions $D \geq 4$. Finally, we investigate the equations of motion for cosmological perturbations in the context of generic Cosmological Gravities. Remarkably, we find that the linearized equations of motion for scalar cosmological perturbations in any Cosmological Gravity in $D\geq 3$ contain no more than two time derivatives. We explicitly corroborate this aspect by presenting the equations for the scalar perturbations in some four-dimensional Cosmological Gravities up to fifth order in the curvature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Spectral inclusions of perturbed normal operators and applications

We consider a normal operator $T$ on a Hilbert space $H$. Under various assumptions on the spectrum of $T$, we give bounds for the spectrum of $T+A$ where $A$ is $T$-bounded with relative bound less than 1 but we do not assume that $A$ is symmetric or normal. If the imaginary part of the spectrum of $T$ is bounded, then the spectrum of $T+A$ is contained in the region between certain hyperbolas whose asymptotic slope depends on the $T$-bound of $A$. If the spectrum of $T$ is contained in a bisector, then the spectrum of $T+A$ is contained in the area between certain rotated hyperbola. The case of infinite gaps in the spectrum of $T$ is studied. Moreover, we prove a stability result for the essential spectrum of $T+A$. If $A$ is even $p$-subordinate to $T$, then we obtain stronger results for the localisation of the spectrum of $T+A$.

math.SP↗

arXiv2023

Conformal bounds in three dimensions from entanglement entropy

The entanglement entropy of an arbitrary spacetime region $A$ in a three-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) contains a constant universal coefficient, $F(A)$. For general theories, the value of $F(A)$ is minimized when $A$ is a round disk, $F_0$, and in that case it coincides with the Euclidean free energy on the sphere. We conjecture that, for general CFTs, the quantity $F(A)/F_0$ is bounded above by the free scalar field result and below by the Maxwell field one. We provide strong evidence in favor of this claim and argue that an analogous conjecture in the four-dimensional case is equivalent to the Hofman-Maldacena bounds. In three dimensions, our conjecture gives rise to similar bounds on the quotients of various constants characterizing the CFT. In particular, it implies that the quotient of the stress-tensor two-point function coefficient and the sphere free energy satisfies $C_{ \scriptscriptstyle T} / F_0 \leq 3/ (4\pi^2 \log 2 - 6\zeta[3]) \simeq 0.14887$ for general CFTs. We verify the validity of this bound for free scalars and fermions, general $O(N)$ and Gross-Neveu models, holographic theories, $\mathcal{N}=2$ Wess-Zumino models and general ABJM theories.

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arXiv2023

On the classification of Generalized Quasitopological Gravities

Generalized Quasitopological Gravities (GQTGs) are higher-order extensions of Einstein gravity in $D$ dimensions satisfying a number of interesting properties, such as possessing second-order linearized equations of motion on top of maximally symmetric backgrounds, admitting non-hairy generalizations of the Schwarzschild-Tangherlini black hole which are characterized by a single metric function or forming a perturbative spanning set of the space of effective theories of gravity. In this work, we classify all inequivalent GQTGs at all curvature orders $n$ and spacetime dimension $D \geq 4$. This is achieved after the explicit construction of a dictionary that allows the uplift of expressions evaluated on a single-function static and spherically symmetric ansatz into fully covariant ones. On the one hand, applying such prescription for $D \geq 5$, we find the explicit covariant form of the unique inequivalent Quasitopological Gravity that exists at each $n$ and, for the first time, the covariant expressions of the $n-2$ inequivalent proper GQTGs existing at every curvature order $n$. On the other hand, for $D=4$, we are able to provide the first rigorous proof of the fact that there is one and only one (proper) inequivalent GQTG at each curvature order $n$, deriving along the way a simple expression for such four-dimensional representative at every order $n$.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Electromagnetic Generalized Quasi-topological gravities in $(2 + 1)$ dimensions

The construction of Quasi-topological gravities in three-dimensions requires coupling a scalar field to the metric. As shown in arXiv:2104.10172, the resulting "Electromagnetic" Quasi-topological (EQT) theories admit charged black hole solutions characterized by a single-function for the metric, $-g_{tt}=g^{-1}_{rr}\equiv f(r)$, and a simple azimuthal form for the scalar. Such black holes, whose metric can be determined fully analytically, generalize the BTZ solution in various ways, including singularity-free black holes without any fine-tuning of couplings or parameters. In this paper we extend the family of EQT theories to general curvature orders. We show that, beyond linear order, $f(r)$ satisfies a second-order differential equation rather than an algebraic one, making the corresponding theories belong to the Electromagnetic Generalized Quasi-topological (EGQT) class. We prove that at each curvature order, the most general EGQT density is given by a single term which contributes nontrivially to the equation of $f(r)$ plus densities which do not contribute at all to such equation. The proof relies on the counting of the exact number of independent order-$n$ densities of the form $\mathcal{L}(R_{ab},\partial_a \phi)$, which we carry out. We study some general aspects of the new families of EGQT black-hole solutions, including their thermodynamic properties and the fulfillment of the first law, and explicitly construct a few of them numerically.

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