Working with scalar field theories, we discuss choices of regulator that, inserted in the functional renormalization group equation, reproduce the results of dimensional regularization at one and two loops. The resulting flow equations can be seen as nonperturbative extensions of the $\overline{\text{MS}}\,$ scheme. We support this claim by recovering all the multicritical models in two dimensions. We discuss a possible generalization to any dimension. Finally, we show that the method also preserves nonlinearly realized symmetries, which is a definite advantage with respect to other regulators.
Recently, Poole & Thomsen have presented the Renormalization Group Equations (RGEs) in the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme for dimensionless parameters of a general renormalizable gauge theory in a new formalism based on the Local Renormalization Group. In this Letter, we apply the dummy field method to the expressions in this formalism in order to derive the RGEs for the dimensionful couplings which so far have been missing in this approach. The complete set of RGEs has been implemented in a new version of the public code PyR@TE (arXiv:2007.12700) dedicated to the automatic computation of the…
We derive a new class of one-loop non-renormalization theorems that strongly constrain the running of higher dimension operators in a general four-dimensional quantum field theory. Our logic follows from unitarity: cuts of one-loop amplitudes are products of tree amplitudes, so if the latter vanish then so too will the associated divergences. Finiteness is then ensured by simple selection rules that zero out tree amplitudes for certain helicity configurations. For each operator we define holomorphic and anti-holomorphic weights, $(w,\overline w) =(n - h,n+h)$, where $n$ and $h$ are the number …
The gauge dependence problem of the effective action for general gauge theories in the framework of a modified functional renormalization group approach proposed recently is studied. It is shown that the effective action remains gauge-dependent on-shell.
We prove that the functional renormalization group flow equation admits a perturbative solution and show explicitly the scheme transformation that relates it to the standard schemes of perturbation theory. We then define a universal scheme within the functional renormalization group.
Motivated by the construction of the cMERA for interacting field theories, we derive a non-perturbative functional differential equation for wave functionals in scalar field theories from the exact renormalization group equation. We check the validity of the equation using the perturbation theory. We calculate the wave functional up to the first-order perturbation and verify that it satisfies the equation.
We study higher derivative extension of the functional renormalization group (FRG). We consider FRG equations for a scalar field that consist of terms with higher functional derivatives of the effective action and arbitrary cutoff functions. We show that the epsilon expansion around the Wilson-Fisher fixed point is indeed reproduced by the local potential approximation of the FRG equations.
The non-perturbative functional renormalization group equation depends on the choice of a regulator function, whose main properties are a "coarse-graining scale" $k$ and an overall dimensionless amplitude $a$. In this paper we shall discuss the limit $a\to0$ with $k$ fixed. This limit is closely related to the pseudo-regulator that reproduces the beta functions of the $\overline{\text{MS}}\,$ scheme, that we studied in a previous paper. It is not suitable for precision calculations but it appears to be useful to eliminate the spurious breaking of symmetries by the regulator, both for nonlinear…
We apply the functional renormalization group equation to a massive Fierz-Pauli action in curved space and find that, even though a massive term is a modification in the infrared sector, the mass term modifies the value of the non-gaussian fixed point in the UV sector.We obtained the beta function for the scale dependent mass parameter and found that the massive Fierz-Pauli case still seems to be an asymptotically safe theory.
We formulate a perturbation expansion for the effective action in a new approach to the functional renormalization group method based on the concept of composite fields for regulator functions being their most essential ingredients. We demonstrate explicitly the principal difference between the properties of effective actions in these two approaches existing already on the one-loop level in a simple gauge model.
The running of the non-minimal parameter (ξ) of the interaction of the real scalar field and scalar curvature is explored within the non-perturbative setting of the functional renormalization group (RG). We establish the RG flow in curved space-time in the scalar field sector, in particular derive an equation for the non-minimal parameter. The RG trajectory is numerically explored for different sets of initial data.
We apply the functional renormalization group approach to a $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge model with one chiral superfield coupled to a vector $U(1)$ superfield. We find that the nonrenormalization theorem still works at leading order in the supercovariant derivative expansion of the fields. We also find the beta functions and we study the behavior of its fixed points in the local potential approximation. Regulators are also discussed.
We discuss a method to analytically continue functional renormalization group equations from imaginary Matsubara frequencies to the real frequency axis. In this formalism, we investigate the analytic structure of the flowing action and the propagator for a theory of scalar fields with $O(N)$ symmetry. We go on to show how it is possible to derive and solve flow equations for real-time properties such as particle decay widths. Our treatment is fully Lorentz-invariant and enables an improved, self-consistent derivative expansion in Minkowski space.
We study the relationships between the basic parameters of the on-shell renormalization scheme and their counterparts in the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme at full order ${\cal O}(α^2)$ in the Standard Model. These enter as threshold corrections the renormalization group analyses underlying, e.g., the investigation of the vacuum stability. To ensure the gauge invariance of the parameters, in particular of the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ masses, we work in $R_ξ$ gauge and systematically include tadpole contributions. We also consider the gaugeless-limit approximation and compare it with the full …
We perform a systematic one-loop renormalization of a general renormalizable Yang-Mills theory coupled to scalars and fermions using a regularization scheme with a smooth momentum cutoff $Λ$ (implemented through an exponential damping factor). We construct the necessary finite counterterms restoring the BRST invariance of the effective action by analyzing the relevant Slavnov-Taylor identities. We find the relation between the renormalized parameters in our scheme and in the conventional $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme which allow us to obtain the explicit two-loop renormalization group equations i…
We reanalyze the construction of the gravitational functional renormalization group equation tailored to the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner formulation emphasizing its connection to the covariant formulation. The results obtained from projecting the renormalization group flow onto the Einstein-Hilbert action are reviewed in detail and we provide a novel example illustrating how the formalism may be connected to the Causal Dynamical Triangulations approach to quantum gravity.
The existence of an U(2)xU(2)-symmetric fixed point in the chiral linear sigma model is confirmed using the Functional Renormalization Group (FRG). Its stability properties and the implications for the order of the chiral phase transition of two-flavor quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are discussed. Furthermore, several technical conclusions are drawn from the comparison with the results of resummed loop expansions.
We compute the low-energy limit of the $O(4)$-symmetric quark-meson model as an effective field theory for Quantum Chromodynamics within the Functional Renormalization Group (FRG) approach. In particular, we analyze the renormalization group flow of momentum-dependent pion self-interactions beyond the local potential approximation. The numerical results for these couplings obtained from the FRG are confronted with a recent tree-level study. Additionally, their effect on the wave-function renormalization and the curvature masses is investigated.
The Lifshitz critical behavior for a single component field theory is studied for the specific isotropic case in the framework of the Functional Renormalization Group. Lifshitz fixed point solutions of the flow equation, derived by using a Proper Time regulator, are searched at lowest and higher order in the derivative expansion. Solutions are found when the number of spatial dimensions d is contained within the interval 5.5 < d < 8.
We investigate the massive Schwinger model in $d=1+1$ dimensions using bosonization and the nonperturbative functional renormalization group. In agreement with previous studies we find that the phase transition, driven by a change of the ratio $m/e$ between the mass and the charge of the fermions, belongs to the two-dimensional Ising universality class. The temperature and vacuum angle dependence of various physical quantities (chiral density, electric field, entropy density) are also determined and agree with results obtained from density matrix renormalization group studies. Screening of fra…
Wetterich's equation provides a powerful tool for investigating the existence and universal properties of renormalization group fixed points exhibiting quantum scale invariance. Motivated by recent works on asymptotically safe scalar-tensor theories, we develop a novel approximation scheme which projects the functional renormalization group equation onto functions of the kinetic term. Applying this projection to scalars and gauge fields, our analysis identifies a new universality class with a very special spectrum of stability coefficients. The implications of our findings in the context of as…
We discuss the relation between functional renormalization group (FRG) and local renormalization group (LRG), focussing on the two dimensional case as an example. We show that away from criticality the Wess-Zumino action is described by a derivative expansion with coefficients naturally related to RG quantities. We then demonstrate that the Weyl consistency conditions derived in the LRG approach are equivalent to the RG equation for the $c$-function available in the FRG scheme. This allows us to give an explicit FRG representation of the Zamolodchikov-Osborn metric, which in principle can be u…
The three-loop Adler $D$-function for ${\cal N}=1$ SQCD in the $\overline{\mbox{DR}}$ scheme is calculated. It appears that the result does not satisfy NSVZ-like equation which relates the $D$-function to the anomalous dimension of the matter superfields. However this NSVZ-like equation can be restored by a special tuning of the renormalization scheme. Also we demonstrate that the $D$-function defined in terms of the bare coupling does not satisfy the NSVZ-like equation in the case of using the regularization by dimensional reduction. The scheme-dependence of the $D$-function written in the fo…
In this paper we propose a method to study the Functional Renormalization Group at finite chemical potential. The method consists of mapping the FRG equations within the Fermi surface into a differential equation defined on a rectangle with zero boundary conditions. To solve this equation we use an expansion of the potential in a harmonic basis. With this method we determined the phase diagram of a simple Yukawa-type model; as expected, the bosonic fluctuations decrease the strength of the transition.
We present a method to calculate short-time non-equilibrium universal exponents within the functional renormalization-group scheme. As an example, we consider the classical critical dynamics of the relaxational model A after a quench of the temperature of the system and calculate the initial slip exponent which characterizes the non-equilibrium universal short-time behaviour of both the order parameter and correlation functions. The value of this exponent is found to be consistent with the result of a perturbative dimensional expansion and of Monte Carlo simulations in three spatial dimensions…
Searching for new non-perturbatively renormalizable quantum gravity theories, functional renormalization group (RG) flows are studied on a theory space of action functionals depending on the metric and the torsion tensor, the latter parameterized by three irreducible component fields. A detailed comparison with Quantum Einstein-Cartan Gravity (QECG), Quantum Einstein Gravity (QEG), and "tetrad-only" gravity, all based on different theory spaces, is performed. It is demonstrated that, over a generic theory space, the construction of a functional RG equation (FRGE) for the effective average acti…
The gauge dependence problem of alternative flow equation for the functional renormalization group is studied. It is shown that the effective two-particle irreducible effective action depends on gauges at any value of IR parameter $k$. The situation with gauge dependence is similar to the standard formulation based on the effective one-particle irreducible effective action.
We study the quantum gravitational system coupled to a charged scalar, Dirac fermions, and electromagnetic fields. We use the "exact" or "functional" renormalization group equation to derive the effective action $Γ_0$ by integrating the flow equation from the ultraviolet scale down to $k=0$. The resulting effective action consists of local terms and nonlocal terms with unique coefficients.
Deriving accurate energy density functional is one of the central problems in condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and quantum chemistry. We propose a novel method to deduce the energy density functional by combining the idea of the functional renormalization group and the Kohn-Sham scheme in density functional theory. The key idea is to solve the renormalization group flow for the effective action decomposed into the mean-field part and the correlation part. Also, we propose a simple practical method to quantify the uncertainty associated with the truncation of the correlation part. By …
The $SU(2)_A \times U(2)_V$-symmetric chiral linear sigma model in the presence of the axial anomaly is studied in the local-potential approximation of the Functional Renormalization Group (FRG). The renormalization group (RG) flow is investigated in a truncation which reproduces recent results for the $U(2)_A \times U(2)_V$-symmetric model in the limit of vanishing axial anomaly strength. We search for the conjectured O(4) fixed point in the presence of the $U(1)_A$ anomaly and analyze its stability properties.
We show an application of the functional-renormalization-group aided density functional theory to the homogeneous electron gas with arbitrary spin polarization, which gives the energy density functional in the local spin density approximation. The correlation energy per particle is calculated at arbitrary Wigner-Seitz radius $ r_{\rm s} $ and spin polarization $ ζ$. In the high-density region, our result shows good agreement with Monte Carlo (MC) data. The agreement with MC data is better in the case of small spin polarization, while the discrepancy increases as the spin polarization increases…
We employ the functional renormalization group approach formulated on the Schwinger-Keldysh contour to calculate real-time correlation functions in scalar field theories. We provide a detailed description of the formalism, discuss suitable truncation schemes for real-time calculations as well as the numerical procedure to self-consistently solve the flow equations for the spectral function. Subsequently, we discuss the relations to other perturbative and non-perturbative approaches to calculate spectral functions, and present a detailed comparison and benchmark in $d=0+1$ dimensions.
We present first results on the calculation of fermionic spectral functions from analytically continued flow equations within the Functional Renormalization Group approach. Our method is based on the same analytic continuation from imaginary to real frequencies that was developed and used previously for bosonic spectral functions. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the method also for fermionic correlations we apply it here to the real-time quark propagator in the quark-meson model and calculate the corresponding quark spectral functions in the vacuum.
We investigate the order of the color superconducting phase transition using the functional renormalization group approach. We analyze the Ginzburg-Landau effective theory of color superconductivity and more generic scalar $SU(N_c)$ gauge theories by calculating the $β$ function of the gauge coupling in arbitrary dimension $d$ based on two different regularization schemes. We find that in $d=3$, due to gluon fluctuation effects, the $β$ function never admits an infrared fixed point solution. This indicates that, unlike the ordinary superconducting transition, color superconductivity can only s…
