21.04.2022 (Thursday)

RG flows on line defects

Journal Club Gabriel Cuomo (Simons Center for Geometry and Physics)

at:
12:00 QMUL
room Zoom
abstract:

I will discuss line defects in d-dimensional Conformal Field Theories (CFTs). I will first review the definitions and some properties of defect CFTs and defect RG flows, including a recent result on the monotonicity of the defect RG flow. I will then discuss in detail two examples relevant for three-dimensional critical systems: magnetic field defects, which arise from a localized external field in a lattice system, and spin defects, that describe doping impurities in magnets. I will show in particular that impurities with large spin are “effectively’’ equivalent to a magnetic field defect. I will close with a comment on Wilson lines in conformal gauge theories; part of London TQFT Journal Club (please register at https://london-tqft.co.uk);