Work

Factorizing Defects from Generalized Pinning Fields

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We introduce generalized pinning fields in conformal field theory that model a large class of critical impurities at large distance, enriching the familiar universality classes. We provide a rigorous definition of such defects as certain unbounded operators on the Hilbert space and prove that when inserted on codimension-one surfaces they factorize the spacetime into two halves. The factorization channels are further constrained by symmetries in the bulk. As a corollary, we solve such critical impurities in the 2D minimal models and establish the factorization phenomena previously observed for localized mass deformations in the 3D O(N) model.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/rh7j-yg11

Authors: Fedor K. Popov, Yifan Wang

Institutions: Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Stony Brook University, New York University

Language: English

Topic: Algebraic structures and combinatorial models

Subfield: Geometry and Topology

Field: Mathematics

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,750

Funders: National Science Foundation, RIKEN, Division of Mathematical Sciences