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Entanglement entropy and negative energy in two dimensions

Eugenio Bianchi and Matteo Smerlak
Phys. Rev. D 90, 041904(R) – Published 27 August 2014

Abstract

It is well known that quantum effects can produce negative energy densities, though for limited times. Here we show in the context of two-dimensional conformal field theory that such negative energy densities are present in any nontrivial conformal vacuum and can be interpreted in terms of the entanglement structure of such states. We derive an exact identity relating the outgoing energy flux and the entanglement entropy in the in-vacuum. When applied to two-dimensional models of black hole evaporation, this identity implies that unitarity is incompatible with monotonic mass loss.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 7 April 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.041904

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Eugenio Bianchi1,* and Matteo Smerlak2,†

  • 1Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos & Physics Department, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
  • 2Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada

  • *ebianchi@gravity.psu.edu
  • msmerlak@perimeterinstitute.ca

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 4 — 15 August 2014

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