Contributor info: Dr Andreas Stergiou

Stefanos R. Kousvos, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 15, 075 (2023) · published 31 August 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Conformal field theories (CFTs) with $U(m)\times U(n)$ global symmetry in $d=3$ dimensions have been studied for years due to their potential relevance to the chiral phase transition of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this work such CFTs are analyzed in $d=4-\varepsilon$ and $d=3$. This includes perturbative computations in the $\varepsilon$ and large-$n$ expansions as well as non-perturbative ones with the numerical conformal bootstrap. New perturbative results are presented and a variety of non-perturbative bootstrap bounds are obtained in $d=3$. Various features of the bounds obtained for large values of $n$ disappear for low values of $n$ (keeping $m<n$ fixed), a phenomenon which is attributed to a transition of the corresponding fixed points to the non-unitary regime. Numerous bootstrap bounds are found that are saturated by large-$n$ results, even in the absence of any features in the bounds. A double scaling limit is also observed, for $m$ and $n$ large with $m/n$ fixed, both in perturbation theory as well as in the numerical bootstrap. For the case of two-flavor massless QCD existing bootstrap evidence is reproduced that the chiral phase transition may be second order, albeit associated to a universality class unrelated to the one usually discussed in the $\varepsilon$ expansion. Similar evidence is found for the case of three-flavor massless QCD, where we observe a pronounced kink.

Stefanos R. Kousvos, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 12, 206 (2022) · published 28 June 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

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 two qualitative groups: those close to the unitarity bound and those further away. As a by-product of our analysis generic tensor structures required to bootstrap any $G^n \rtimes S_n$ theory with $G$ arbitrary are worked out.

Johan Henriksson, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 11, 015 (2021) · published 16 July 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Fixed points in three dimensions described by conformal field theories with $MN_{m,n}= O(m)^n\rtimes S_n$ global symmetry have extensive applications in critical phenomena. Associated experimental data for $m=n=2$ suggest the existence of two non-trivial fixed points, while the $\varepsilon$ expansion predicts only one, resulting in a puzzling state of affairs. A recent numerical conformal bootstrap study has found two kinks for small values of the parameters $m$ and $n$, with critical exponents in good agreement with experimental determinations in the $m=n=2$ case. In this paper we investigate the fate of the corresponding fixed points as we vary the parameters $m$ and $n$. We find that one family of kinks approaches a perturbative limit as $m$ increases, and using large spin perturbation theory we construct a large $m$ expansion that fits well with the numerical data. This new expansion, akin to the large $N$ expansion of critical $O(N)$ models, is compatible with the fixed point found in the $\varepsilon$ expansion. For the other family of kinks, we find that it persists only for $n=2$, where for large $m$ it approaches a non-perturbative limit with $\Delta_\phi\approx 0.75$. We investigate the spectrum in the case $MN_{100,2}$ and find consistency with expectations from the lightcone bootstrap.

Johan Henriksson, Stefanos R. Kousvos, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 9, 035 (2020) · published 10 September 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Motivated by applications to critical phenomena and open theoretical questions, we study conformal field theories with $O(m)\times O(n)$ global symmetry in $d=3$ spacetime dimensions. We use both analytic and numerical bootstrap techniques. Using the analytic bootstrap, we calculate anomalous dimensions and OPE coefficients as power series in $\varepsilon=4-d$ and in $1/n$, with a method that generalizes to arbitrary global symmetry. Whenever comparison is possible, our results agree with earlier results obtained with diagrammatic methods in the literature. Using the numerical bootstrap, we obtain a wide variety of operator dimension bounds, and we find several islands (isolated allowed regions) in parameter space for $O(2)\times O(n)$ theories for various values of $n$. Some of these islands can be attributed to fixed points predicted by perturbative methods like the $\varepsilon$ and large-$n$ expansions, while others appear to arise due to fixed points that have been claimed to exist in resummations of perturbative beta functions.

Stefanos R. Kousvos, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 8, 085 (2020) · published 9 June 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

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 three-dimensional isolated allowed region in parameter space, which includes both the 3D (decoupled) Ising model and the Platonic CFT. The essential assumptions on the spectrum of operators used to provide the isolated allowed region include the existence of a stress-energy tensor and the irrelevance of certain operators (in the renormalization group sense).

Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 7, 010 (2019) · published 17 July 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Conformal field theories (CFTs) with MN and tetragonal global symmetry in $d=2+1$ dimensions are relevant for structural, antiferromagnetic and helimagnetic phase transitions. As a result, they have been studied in great detail with the $\varepsilon=4-d$ expansion and other field theory methods. The study of these theories with the nonperturbative numerical conformal bootstrap is initiated in this work. Bounds for operator dimensions are obtained and they are found to possess sharp kinks in the MN case, suggesting the existence of full-fledged CFTs. Based on the existence of a certain large-$N$ expansion in theories with MN symmetry, these are argued to be the CFTs predicted by the $\varepsilon$ expansion. In the tetragonal case no new kinks are found, consistently with the absence of such CFTs in the $\varepsilon$ expansion. Estimates for critical exponents are provided for a few cases describing phase transitions in actual physical systems. In two particular MN cases, corresponding to theories with global symmetry groups $O(2)^2\rtimes S_2$ and $O(2)^3\rtimes S_3$, a second kink is found. In the $O(2)^2\rtimes S_2$ case it is argued to be saturated by a CFT that belongs to a new universality class relevant for the structural phase transition of NbO$_2$ and paramagnetic-helimagnetic transitions of the rare-earth metals Ho and Dy. In the $O(2)^3\rtimes S_3$ case it is suggested that the CFT that saturates the second kink belongs to a new universality class relevant for the paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition of the rare-earth metal Nd.

Stefanos R. Kousvos, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 6, 035 (2019) · published 21 March 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

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 crystals. They are in tension with previous $\varepsilon$ expansion results, as noticed already in earlier work.

Slava Rychkov, Andreas Stergiou

SciPost Phys. 6, 008 (2019) · published 17 January 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Fixed points of scalar field theories with quartic interactions in $d=4-\varepsilon$ dimensions are considered in full generality. For such theories it is known that there exists a scalar function $A$ of the couplings through which the leading-order beta-function can be expressed as a gradient. It is here proved that the fixed-point value of $A$ is bounded from below by a simple expression linear in the dimension of the vector order parameter, $N$. Saturation of the bound requires a marginal deformation, and is shown to arise when fixed points with the same global symmetry coincide in coupling space. Several general results about scalar CFTs are discussed, and a review of known fixed points is given.