1,565 research outputs found
Entropy inequalities from reflection positivity
We investigate the question of whether the entropy and the Renyi entropies of
the vacuum state reduced to a region of the space can be represented in terms
of correlators in quantum field theory. In this case, the positivity relations
for the correlators are mapped into inequalities for the entropies. We write
them using a real time version of reflection positivity, which can be
generalized to general quantum systems. Using this generalization we can prove
an infinite sequence of inequalities which are obeyed by the Renyi entropies of
integer index. There is one independent inequality involving any number of
different subsystems. In quantum field theory the inequalities acquire a simple
geometrical form and are consistent with the integer index Renyi entropies
being given by vacuum expectation values of twisting operators in the Euclidean
formulation. Several possible generalizations and specific examples are
analyzed.Comment: Significantly enlarged and corrected version. Counterexamples found
for the most general form of the inequalities. V3: minor change
The logic of causally closed spacetime subsets
The causal structure of space-time offers a natural notion of an opposite or
orthogonal in the logical sense, where the opposite of a set is formed by all
points non time-like related with it. We show that for a general space-time the
algebra of subsets that arises from this negation operation is a complete
orthomodular lattice, and thus has several of the properties characterizing the
algebra physical propositions in quantum mechanics. We think this fact could be
used to investigate causal structure in an algebraic context. As a first step
in this direction we show that the causal lattice is in addition atomic, find
its atoms, and give necesary and sufficient conditions for ireducibility.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure
Remarks on the entanglement entropy for disconnected regions
Few facts are known about the entanglement entropy for disconnected regions
in quantum field theory. We study here the property of extensivity of the
mutual information, which holds for free massless fermions in two dimensions.
We uncover the structure of the entropy function in the extensive case, and
find an interesting connection with the renormalization group irreversibility.
The solution is a function on space-time regions which complies with all the
known requirements a relativistic entropy function has to satisfy. We show that
the holographic ansatz of Ryu and Takayanagi, the free scalar and Dirac fields
in dimensions greater than two, and the massive free fields in two dimensions
all fail to be exactly extensive, disproving recent conjectures.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, some addition
Mutual information challenges entropy bounds
We consider some formulations of the entropy bounds at the semiclassical
level. The entropy S(V) localized in a region V is divergent in quantum field
theory (QFT). Instead of it we focus on the mutual information
I(V,W)=S(V)+S(W)-S(V\cup W) between two different non-intersecting sets V and
W. This is a low energy quantity, independent of the regularization scheme. In
addition, the mutual information is bounded above by twice the entropy
corresponding to the sets involved. Calculations of I(V,W) in QFT show that the
entropy in empty space cannot be renormalized to zero, and must be actually
very large. We find that this entropy due to the vacuum fluctuations violates
the FMW bound in Minkowski space. The mutual information also gives a precise,
cutoff independent meaning to the statement that the number of degrees of
freedom increases with the volume in QFT. If the holographic bound holds, this
points to the essential non locality of the physical cutoff. Violations of the
Bousso bound would require conformal theories and large distances. We speculate
that the presence of a small cosmological constant might prevent such a
violation.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, minor change
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