We use the numerical conformal bootstrap to study six-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ superconformal field theories with flavor symmetry $\mathfrak{so}_{4k}$. We present evidence that minimal $(D_k, D_k)$ conformal matter saturates the unitarity bounds for arbitrary $k$. Furthermore, using the extremal-functional method, we check that the chiral-ring relations are correctly reproduced, extract the anomalous dimensions of low-lying long superconformal multiplets, and find hints for novel OPE selection rules involving type-$\mathcal{B}$ multiplets.
Genus two partition functions of 2d chiral conformal field theories are given by Siegel modular forms. We compute their conformal blocks and use them to perform the conformal bootstrap. The advantage of this approach is that it imposes crossing symmetry of an infinite family of four point functions and also modular invariance at the same time. Since for a fixed central charge the ring of Siegel modular forms is finite dimensional, we can perform this analytically. In this way we derive bounds on three point functions and on the spectrum of such theories.
We combine supersymmetric localization results with numerical bootstrap techniques to compute upper bounds on the low-lying CFT data of ${\cal N} = 4$ super-Yang-Mills theory as a function of the complexified gauge coupling $τ$. In particular, from the stress tensor multiplet four-point function, we extract the scaling dimension of the lowest-lying unprotected scalar operator and its OPE coefficient. While our method can be applied in principle to any gauge group $G$, we focus on $G = SU(2)$ and $SU(3)$ for simplicity. At weak coupling, the upper bounds we find are very close to the correspond…
Recent numerical results point to the existence of a conformally invariant twist defect in the critical 3d Ising model. In this note we show that this fact is supported by both epsilon expansion and conformal bootstrap calculations. We find that our results are in good agreement with the numerical data. We also make new predictions for operator dimensions and OPE coefficients from the bootstrap approach. In the process we derive universal bounds on one-dimensional conformal field theories and conformal line defects.
The three-dimensional pure quantum gravity with negative cosmological constant is supposed to be dual to the extremal conformal field theory of central charge $c=24k$ in two dimensions. We employ the conformal bootstrap method to analyze the extremal CFTs, and find numerical evidence for the non-existence of the extremal CFTs for sufficiently large central charge ($k \ge 20$). We also explore near-extremal CFTs, a small modification of extremal ones, and find similar evidence for their non-existence for large central charge. This indicates, under the assumption of holomorphic factorization, th…
We use the conformal bootstrap to study conformal field theories with $O(N)$ global symmetry in $d=5$ and $d=5.95$ spacetime dimensions that have a scalar operator $ϕ_i$ transforming as an $O(N)$ vector. The crossing symmetry of the four-point function of this $O(N)$ vector operator, along with unitarity assumptions, determine constraints on the scaling dimensions of conformal primary operators in the $ϕ_i \times ϕ_j$ OPE. Imposing a lower bound on the second smallest scaling dimension of such an $O(N)$-singlet conformal primary, and varying the scaling dimension of the lowest one, we obtain a…
The study of conformal boundary conditions for two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs) has a long history, ranging from the description of impurities in one-dimensional quantum chains to the formulation of D-branes in string theory. Nevertheless, the landscape of conformal boundaries is largely unknown, including in rational CFTs, where the local operator data is completely determined. We initiate a systematic bootstrap study of conformal boundaries in 2d CFTs by investigating the bootstrap equation that arises from the open-closed consistency condition of the annulus partition functio…
We propose a novel approach to study conformal field theories (CFTs) in general dimensions. In the conformal bootstrap program, one usually searches for consistent CFT data that satisfy crossing symmetry. In the new approach, we reverse the logic and interpret manifestly crossing-symmetric functions as generating functions of conformal data. Physical CFTs can be obtained by scanning the space of symmetric functions. By truncating the fusion rules, we are able to concentrate on the low-lying operators and derive some approximate relations for their conformal data. It turns out that the free sca…
The existence of a positive linear functional acting on the space of (differences between) conformal blocks has been shown to rule out regions in the parameter space of conformal field theories (CFTs). We argue that at the boundary of the allowed region the extremal functional contains, in principle, enough information to determine the dimensions and OPE coefficients of an infinite number of operators appearing in the correlator under analysis. Based on this idea we develop the Extremal Functional Method (EFM), a numerical procedure for deriving the spectrum and OPE coefficients of CFTs lying …
We suggest a way to implement conformal bootstrap program for the case of the ${\cal N}=1$ SCFT in three dimensions using the previous analysis of the Ising model in \cite{CB}. We find approximate values for the conformal dimensions of several operators and the central charge $C_T$, the coefficient in the two-point function of the stress-tensor. Bootstrapping this particular (minimal) SCFT is of special interest as it was suggested in \cite{CM} that it may realize supersymmetry in 2+1 dimensions in experiment. The values are in a good agreement with the previous estimate in \cite{CM}.
We propose a roadmap for bootstrapping conformal field theories (CFTs) described by gauge theories in dimensions $d>2$. In particular, we provide a simple and workable answer to the question of how to detect the gauge group in the bootstrap calculation. Our recipe is based on the notion of \emph{decoupling operator}, which has a simple (gauge) group theoretical origin, and is reminiscent of the null operator of $2d$ Wess-Zumino-Witten CFTs in higher dimensions. Using the decoupling operator we can efficiently detect the rank (i.e. color number) of gauge groups, e.g., by imposing gap conditions…
Given a conformal data on a flat Euclidean space, we use crosscap conformal bootstrap equations to numerically solve the Lee-Yang model as well as the critical Ising model on a three-dimensional real projective space. We check the rapid convergence of our bootstrap program in two-dimensions from the exact solutions available. Based on the comparison, we estimate that our systematic error on the numerically solved one-point functions of the critical Ising model on a three-dimensional real projective space is less than one percent. Our method opens up a novel way to solve conformal field theorie…
The boundary correlation functions for a Quantum Field Theory (QFT) in an Anti-de Sitter (AdS) background can stay conformally covariant even if the bulk theory undergoes a renormalization group (RG) flow. Studying such correlation functions with the numerical conformal bootstrap leads to non-perturbative constraints that must hold along the entire flow. In this paper we carry out this analysis for the sine-Gordon RG flows in AdS$_2$, which start with a free (compact) scalar in the UV and end with well-known massive integrable theories that saturate many S-matrix bootstrap bounds. We numerical…
We study conformal boundary conditions for the theory of a single real scalar to investigate whether the known Dirichlet and Neumann conditions are the only possibilities. For this free bulk theory there are strong restrictions on the possible boundary dynamics. In particular, we find that the bulk-to-boundary operator expansion of the bulk field involves at most a `shadow pair' of boundary fields, irrespective of the conformal boundary condition. We numerically analyze the four-point crossing equations for this shadow pair in the case of a three-dimensional boundary (so a four-dimensional sca…
We apply the numerical bootstrap program to chiral operators in four-dimensional ${\mathcal N}=2$ SCFTs. In the first part of this work we study four-point functions in which all fields have the same conformal dimension. We give special emphasis to bootstrapping a specific theory: the simplest Argyres-Douglas fixed point with no flavor symmetry. In the second part we generalize our setup and consider correlators of fields with unequal dimension. This is an example of a mixed correlator and allows us to probe new regions in the parameter space of ${\mathcal N}=2$ SCFTs. In particular, our resul…
We apply the numerical conformal bootstrap to correlators of Coulomb and Higgs branch operators in $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal theories. We start by revisiting previous results on single correlators of Coulomb branch operators. In particular, we present improved bounds on OPE coefficients for some selected Argyres-Douglas models, and compare them to recent work where the same cofficients were obtained in the limit of large $r$ charge. There is solid agreement between all the approaches. The improved bounds can be used to extract an approximate spectrum of the Argyres-Douglas models, wh…
We provide evidence for the existence of non-trivial unitary conformal boundary conditions for a three-dimensional free scalar field, which can be obtained via a coupling to the m'th unitary diagonal minimal model. For large m we can demonstrate the existence of the fixed point perturbatively, and for smaller values we use the numerical conformal bootstrap to obtain a sharp kink that smoothly matches onto the perturbative predictions. The wider numerical analysis also yields universal bounds for the spectrum of any other boundary condition for the free scalar field. A second kink in these boun…
We analyze the conformal bootstrap constraints in theories with four supercharges and a global $O(N) \times U(1)$ flavor symmetry in $3 \leq d \leq 4$ dimensions. In particular, we consider the 4-point function of $O(N)$-fundamental chiral operators $Z_i$ that have no chiral primary in the $O(N)$-singlet sector of their OPE. We find features in our numerical bounds that nearly coincide with the theory of $N+1$ chiral super-fields with superpotential $W = X \sum_{i=1}^N Z_i^2$, as well as general bounds on SCFTs where $\sum_{i=1}^N Z_i^2$ vanishes in the chiral ring.
In view of its physical importance in predicting the order of chiral phase transitions in QCD and frustrated spin systems, we perform the conformal bootstrap program of $O(n)\times O(2)$-symmetric conformal field theories in $d=3$ dimensions with a special focus on $n=3$ and $4$. The existence of renormalization group fixed points with these symmetries has been controversial over years, but our conformal bootstrap program provides the non-perturbative evidence. In both $n=3$ and $4$ cases, we find singular behaviors in the bounds of scaling dimensions of operators in two different sectors, whi…
Whether O(N)-invariant conformal field theory exists in five dimensions with its implication to higher-spin holography was much debated. We find an affirmative result on this question by utilizing conformal bootstrap approach. In solving for the crossing symmetry condition, we propose a new approach based on specification for the low-lying spectrum distribution. We find the traditional one-gap bootstrapping is not suited since the nontrivial fixed point expected from large-N expansion sits at deep interior (not at boundary or kink) of allowed solution region. We propose two-gap bootstrapping t…
How much spectral information is needed to determine the correlation functions of a conformal theory? We study this question in the context of planar supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, where integrability techniques accurately determine the single-trace spectrum at finite 't Hooft coupling. Corresponding OPE coefficients are constrained by dispersive sum rules, which implement crossing symmetry. Focusing on correlators of four stress-tensor multiplets, we construct combinations of sum rules which determine one-loop correlators, and we study a numerical bootstrap problem that nonperturbatively b…
There are three generalizations of the Platonic solids that exist in all dimensions, namely the hypertetrahedron, the hypercube, and the hyperoctahedron, with the latter two being dual. Conformal field theories with the associated symmetry groups as global symmetries can be argued to exist in $d=3$ spacetime dimensions if the $\varepsilon=4-d$ expansion is valid when $\varepsilon\to1$. In this paper hypercubic and hypertetrahedral theories are studied with the non-perturbative numerical conformal bootstrap. In the $N=3$ cubic case it is found that a bound with a kink is saturated by a solution…
We use the conformal bootstrap approach to explore $5D$ CFTs with $O(N)$ global symmetry, which contain $N$ scalars $ϕ_i$ transforming as $O(N)$ vector. Specifically, we study multiple four-point correlators of the leading $O(N)$ vector $ϕ_i$ and the $O(N)$ singlet $σ$. The crossing symmetry of the four-point functions and the unitarity condition provide nontrivial constraints on the scaling dimensions ($Δ_ϕ$, $Δ_σ$) of $ϕ_i$ and $σ$. With reasonable assumptions on the gaps between scaling dimensions of $ϕ_i$ ($σ$) and the next $O(N)$ vector (singlet) scalar, we are able to isolate the scaling…
The numerical conformal bootstrap is used to study mixed correlators in $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal field theories (SCFTs) in $d=4$ spacetime dimensions. Systems of four-point functions involving scalar chiral and real operators are analyzed, including the case where the scalar real operator is the zero component of a global conserved current multiplet. New results on superconformal blocks as well as universal constraints on the space of 4D $\mathcal{N}=1$ SCFTs with chiral operators are presented. At the level of precision used, the conditions under which the putative "minimal" 4D $\mathca…
We bootstrap the deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP) and 3D Quantum Electrodynamics (QED$_3$) coupled to $N_f$ flavors of two-component Dirac fermions. We show the lattice and perturbative results on the $SO(5)$ symmetric DQCP are excluded by the bootstrap bounds combined with an irrelevant condition of the lowest singlet scalar. Remarkably, we discover a new family of kinks in the 3D $SO(N)$ vector bootstrap bounds with $N\geqslant6$. We demonstrate bound coincidences between $SU(N_f)$ adjoint and $SO(N_f^2-1)$ vector bootstrap which result from a novel algebraic relation between their c…
Conformal field theories (CFTs) with cubic global symmetry in 3D are relevant in a variety of condensed matter systems and have been studied extensively with the use of perturbative methods like the $\varepsilon$ expansion. In an earlier work, we used the nonperturbative numerical conformal bootstrap to provide evidence for the existence of a previously unknown 3D CFT with cubic symmetry, dubbed "Platonic CFT". In this work, we make further use of the numerical conformal bootstrap to perform a three-dimensional scan in the space of scaling dimensions of three low-lying operators. We find a thr…
We study the conformal bootstrap for a 4-point function of fermions $\langleψψψψ\rangle$ in 3D. We first introduce an embedding formalism for 3D spinors and compute the conformal blocks appearing in fermion 4-point functions. Using these results, we find general bounds on the dimensions of operators appearing in the $ψ\times ψ$ OPE, and also on the central charge $C_T$. We observe features in our bounds that coincide with scaling dimensions in the Gross-Neveu models at large $N$. We also speculate that other features could coincide with a fermionic CFT containing no relevant scalar operators.
We study two-point functions of single-trace half-BPS operators in the presence of a supersymmetric Wilson line in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM. We use inversion formula technology in order to reconstruct the CFT data starting from a single discontinuity of the correlator. In the planar strong coupling limit only a finite number of conformal blocks contributes to the discontinuity, which allows us to obtain elegant closed-form expressions for two-point functions of single-trace operators $\mathcal{O}_J$ of weight $J=2,3,4$. Our final result passes a number of non-trivial consistency checks: it has the …
We use the numerical bootstrap to study conformal line defects with $O(2)$ global symmetry. Our results are very general and capture in particular conformal line defects originating from bulk CFTs with a continuous global symmetry, which can either be preserved or partially broken by the presence of the defect. We begin with an agnostic approach and perform a systematic bootstrap study of correlation functions between two canonical operators on the defect: the displacement and the tilt. We then focus on two interesting theories: a monodromy line defect and a localized magnetic field line defec…
We present the results of a conformal bootstrap study of the presumed unitary IR fixed point of quantum electrodynamics in three dimensions (QED$_3$) coupled to $N_f=4$ two-component Dirac fermions. Specifically, we study the four-point correlators of the $SU(4)$ adjoint fermion bilinear $r$ and the monopole of lowest topological charge $\mathcal{M}_{1/2}$. Most notably, the scaling dimensions of the fermion bilinear $r$ and the monopole $\mathcal{M}_{1/2}$ are found to be constrained into a closed island with a combination of spectrum assumptions inspired by the $1/N_f$ perturbative results a…
Three-dimensional theories with cubic symmetry are studied using the machinery of the numerical conformal bootstrap. Crossing symmetry and unitarity are imposed on a set of mixed correlators, and various aspects of the parameter space are probed for consistency. An isolated allowed region in parameter space is found under certain assumptions involving pushing operator dimensions above marginality, indicating the existence of a conformal field theory in this region. The obtained results have possible applications for ferromagnetic phase transitions as well as structural phase transitions in cry…
We use modern bootstrap techniques to study half-BPS line defects in 4d N=4 superconformal theories. Specifically, we consider the 1d CFT with OSP(4*|4) superconformal symmetry living on such a defect. Our analysis is general and based only on symmetries, it includes however important examples like Wilson and 't Hooft lines in N=4 super Yang-Mills. We present several numerical bounds on OPE coefficients and conformal dimensions. Of particular interest is a numerical island obtained from a mixed correlator bootstrap that seems to imply a unique solution to crossing. The island is obtained if so…
We use analytical bootstrap techniques to study supersymmetric monodromy defects in the critical Wess-Zumino model. In preparation for this result we first study two related systems which are interesting on their own: general monodromy defects (no susy), and the $\varepsilon$--expansion bootstrap for the Wess-Zumino model (no defects). For general monodromy defects, we extend previous work on codimension-two conformal blocks and the Lorentzian inversion formula in order to accommodate parity-odd structures. In the Wess-Zumino model, we bootstrap four-point functions of chiral operators in the …
Using numerical bootstrap method, we determine the critical exponents of the minimal three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal field theory (SCFT) to be $η_σ=0.168888(60)$ and $ω=0.882(9)$. The model was argued in arXiv:1301.7449 to describe a quantum critical point (QCP) at the boundary a $3+1$D topological superconductor. More interestingly, the QCP can be reached by tuning a single parameter, where supersymmetry (SUSY) is realised as an emergent symmetry. By imposing emergent SUSY in numerical bootstrap, we find that the conformal scaling dimension of the real scalar operator $σ$ is …
We apply bootstrap techniques in order to constrain the CFT data of the $(A_1,A_2)$ Argyres-Douglas theory, which is arguably the simplest of the Argyres-Douglas models. We study the four-point function of its single Coulomb branch chiral ring generator and put numerical bounds on the low-lying spectrum of the theory. Of particular interest is an infinite family of semi-short multiplets labeled by the spin $\ell$. Although the conformal dimensions of these multiplets are protected, their three-point functions are not. Using the numerical bootstrap we impose rigorous upper and lower bounds on t…
The recent emergence of the modern conformal bootstrap method for the study of conformal field theories (CFTs) has enabled the revisiting of old problems in classical critical phenomena described by three-dimensional CFTs. The study of such CFTs with $O(m)^n \rtimes S_n$ global symmetry, also known as MN models, is pursued in this work. Systems of mixed correlators involving scalar operators in two different representations of the global symmetry group are considered. Isolated allowed regions are found in parameter space for various values of $m$ and $n$. These "islands" can be separated into …
We perform a numerical bootstrap study of the mixed correlator system containing the half-BPS operators of dimension two and three in $\mathcal N = 4$ Super Yang-Mills. This setup improves on previous works in the literature that only considered single correlators of one or the other operator. We obtain upper bounds on the leading twist in a given representation of the R-symmetry by imposing gaps on the twist of all operators rather than the dimension of a single one. As a result we find a tension between the large $N$ supergravity predictions and the numerical finite $N$ results already at $N…
Bootstrap is a novel and ambitious paradigm for quantum physics. It aims to solve the target problems by exploiting theoretical constraints from general physical principles and self-consistency conditions. The bootstrap philosophy dates back to the 1960s. Its real power has been recognized only recently in, e.g., conformal field theories and relativistic scattering amplitudes. Inspired by [X. Han, S. A. Hartnoll, and J. Kruthoff, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 041601 (2020)], we report the first bootstrap results in low-energy nuclear physics, where deuteron, with its Hamiltonian given by pionless effe…
We study the conformal bootstrap for 4-point functions of fermions $\langle ψ_i ψ_j ψ_k ψ_{\ell} \rangle$ in parity-preserving 3d CFTs, where $ψ_i$ transforms as a vector under an $O(N)$ global symmetry. We compute bounds on scaling dimensions and central charges, finding features in our bounds that appear to coincide with the $O(N)$ symmetric Gross-Neveu-Yukawa fixed points. Our computations are in perfect agreement with the $1/N$ expansion at large $N$ and allow us to make nontrivial predictions at small $N$. For values of $N$ for which the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa universality classes are relevan…
We study the critical $O(3)$ model using the numerical conformal bootstrap. In particular, we use a recently developed cutting-surface algorithm to efficiently map out the allowed space of CFT data from correlators involving the leading $O(3)$ singlet $s$, vector $ϕ$, and rank-2 symmetric tensor $t$. We determine their scaling dimensions to be $(Δ_{s}, Δ_ϕ, Δ_{t}) = (0.518942(51), 1.59489(59), 1.20954(23))$, and also bound various OPE coefficients. We additionally introduce a new "tip-finding" algorithm to compute an upper bound on the leading rank-4 symmetric tensor $t_4$, which we find to be…
We study the conformal bootstrap for 3D CFTs with O(N) global symmetry. We obtain rigorous upper bounds on the scaling dimensions of the first O(N) singlet and symmetric tensor operators appearing in the $ϕ_i \times ϕ_j$ OPE, where $ϕ_i$ is a fundamental of O(N). Comparing these bounds to previous determinations of critical exponents in the O(N) vector models, we find strong numerical evidence that the O(N) vector models saturate the bootstrap constraints at all values of N. We also compute general lower bounds on the central charge, giving numerical predictions for the values realized in the …
We implement the conformal bootstrap program for three-dimensional CFTs with $\mathcal{N}=2$ supersymmetry and find universal constraints on the spectrum of operator dimensions in these theories. By studying the bounds on the dimension of the first scalar appearing in the OPE of a chiral and an anti-chiral primary, we find a kink at the expected location of the critical three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=2$ Wess-Zumino model, which can be thought of as a supersymmetric analog of the critical Ising model. Focusing on this kink, we determine, to high accuracy, the low-lying spectrum of operator dime…
Bootstrapping currents and stress tensors in 3d CFTs
Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, Caltech（加州理工学院沃尔特·伯克理论物理研究所）；Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques（高等科学研究所）；Leinweber Institute for Theoretical Physics, Randall Laboratory of Physics, University of Michigan（密歇根大学莱因韦伯理论物理研究所）；Department of Mathematics, King’s College London（伦敦国王学院数学系）；Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara（加州大学圣塔芭芭拉分校卡弗里理论物理研究所）；Department of Physics, Yale University（耶鲁大学物理系）
We study the conformal bootstrap for systems of correlators involving non-identical operators. The constraints of crossing symmetry and unitarity for such mixed correlators can be phrased in the language of semidefinite programming. We apply this formalism to the simplest system of mixed correlators in 3D CFTs with a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ global symmetry. For the leading $\mathbb{Z}_2$-odd operator $σ$ and $\mathbb{Z}_2$-even operator $ε$, we obtain numerical constraints on the allowed dimensions $(Δ_σ, Δ_ε)$ assuming that $σ$ and $ε$ are the only relevant scalars in the theory. These constraints yie…
We study the conformal bootstrap constraints for 3D conformal field theories with a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ or parity symmetry, assuming a single relevant scalar operator $ε$ that is invariant under the symmetry. When there is additionally a single relevant odd scalar $σ$, we map out the allowed space of dimensions and three-point couplings of such "Ising-like" CFTs. If we allow a second relevant odd scalar $σ'$, we identify a feature in the allowed space compatible with 3D $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal symmetry and conjecture that it corresponds to the minimal $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric extension…
Recently, bootstrap methods from conformal field theory have been adapted for studying the energy spectrum of various quantum mechanical systems. In this paper, we consider the application of these methods in obtaining the spectrum from the Schrödinger equation with periodic potentials, paying particular attention to the Kronig-Penney model of a particle in a one-dimensional lattice. With an appropriate choice of operator basis involving position and momenta, we find that the bootstrap approach efficiently computes the band gaps of the energy spectrum but has trouble effectively constraining t…
We summarize some recent results on the BRST analysis of physical states of 2D gravity coupled to c<=1 conformal matter and the supersymmetric generalization.
We combine the methods of Hamiltonian Truncation and the recently proposed generalisation of the S-matrix bootstrap that includes local operators to determine the two-particle scattering amplitude and the two-particle form factor of the stress tensor at $s>0$ in the 2d $ϕ^4$ theory. We use the form factor of the stress tensor at $s\le 0$ and its spectral density computed using Lightcone Conformal Truncation (LCT), and inject them into the generalized S-matrix bootstrap set-up. The obtained results for the scattering amplitude and the form factor are fully reliable only in the elastic regime. W…
