Dynamical Entanglement Phase Transitions in Holographic CFTs
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866917540933926912 |
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| author | Lap, Joseph Dominicus Halimeh, Jad C. Horn, David Ebner, Lukas Seidl, Clemens Müller, Berndt Schäfer, Andreas Minar, Jakob |
| author_facet | Lap, Joseph Dominicus Halimeh, Jad C. Horn, David Ebner, Lukas Seidl, Clemens Müller, Berndt Schäfer, Andreas Minar, Jakob |
| contents | We study the time evolution of the entanglement structure of holographic conformal field theories after a local quench. Using the mutual information between two spatial intervals as a probe, we find that $1+1$-dimensional conformal field theories exhibit a rich pattern of dynamical phase transitions. In the large-central-charge limit, mutual information develops sharp non-analyticities at critical times, providing a concrete entanglement-based realization of dynamical quantum phase transitions. We find that the dynamics organize into six distinct phases of mutual information, each controlled by the dominance of a different conformal block, or equivalently, a different holographic geodesic configuration. This phase structure goes beyond the standard quasi-particle picture, explaining non-analytic features that are not captured by simple light-cone propagation from the quench points. We further identify a dynamical $D_4$ symmetry acting on the interval endpoints that controls the presence or absence of mutual information. The onset of mutual information is governed by the breaking of this symmetry to a $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ subgroup, suggesting a symmetry-based characterization of non-equilibrium entanglement dynamics analogous to the role of symmetry in equilibrium critical phenomena. Finally, numerical studies of critical spin chains indicate that finite-$c$ effects smooth out the sharp large-$c$ transitions between different mutual-information phases, while the transitions between phases with and without mutual information appear to remain non-analytic. These results offer a unifying perspective on real-time entanglement dynamics and their critical features in conformal many-body systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_28939 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Dynamical Entanglement Phase Transitions in Holographic CFTs Lap, Joseph Dominicus Halimeh, Jad C. Horn, David Ebner, Lukas Seidl, Clemens Müller, Berndt Schäfer, Andreas Minar, Jakob High Energy Physics - Theory Quantum Physics We study the time evolution of the entanglement structure of holographic conformal field theories after a local quench. Using the mutual information between two spatial intervals as a probe, we find that $1+1$-dimensional conformal field theories exhibit a rich pattern of dynamical phase transitions. In the large-central-charge limit, mutual information develops sharp non-analyticities at critical times, providing a concrete entanglement-based realization of dynamical quantum phase transitions. We find that the dynamics organize into six distinct phases of mutual information, each controlled by the dominance of a different conformal block, or equivalently, a different holographic geodesic configuration. This phase structure goes beyond the standard quasi-particle picture, explaining non-analytic features that are not captured by simple light-cone propagation from the quench points. We further identify a dynamical $D_4$ symmetry acting on the interval endpoints that controls the presence or absence of mutual information. The onset of mutual information is governed by the breaking of this symmetry to a $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ subgroup, suggesting a symmetry-based characterization of non-equilibrium entanglement dynamics analogous to the role of symmetry in equilibrium critical phenomena. Finally, numerical studies of critical spin chains indicate that finite-$c$ effects smooth out the sharp large-$c$ transitions between different mutual-information phases, while the transitions between phases with and without mutual information appear to remain non-analytic. These results offer a unifying perspective on real-time entanglement dynamics and their critical features in conformal many-body systems. |
| title | Dynamical Entanglement Phase Transitions in Holographic CFTs |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Theory Quantum Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28939 |