Minimal areas from entangled matrices

We define a relational notion of a subsystem in theories of matrix quantum mechanics and show how the corresponding entanglement entropy can be given as a minimisation, exhibiting many similarities to the Ryu-Takayanagi formula. Our construction brings together the physics of entanglement edge modes...

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Main Author: Jackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. Soni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SciPost 2025-06-01
Series:SciPost Physics
Online Access:https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.18.6.171
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author Jackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. Soni
author_facet Jackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. Soni
author_sort Jackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. Soni
collection DOAJ
description We define a relational notion of a subsystem in theories of matrix quantum mechanics and show how the corresponding entanglement entropy can be given as a minimisation, exhibiting many similarities to the Ryu-Takayanagi formula. Our construction brings together the physics of entanglement edge modes, noncommutative geometry and quantum internal reference frames, to define a subsystem whose reduced state is (approximately) an incoherent sum of density matrices, corresponding to distinct spatial subregions. We show that in states where geometry emerges from semiclassical matrices, this sum is dominated by the subregion with minimal boundary area. As in the Ryu-Takayanagi formula, it is the computation of the entanglement that determines the subregion. We find that coarse-graining is essential in our microscopic derivation, in order to control the proliferation of highly curved and disconnected non-geometric subregions in the sum.
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spelling doaj-art-52c7c15ed87d4d8ab29b770df899662f2025-08-20T03:36:42ZengSciPostSciPost Physics2542-46532025-06-0118617110.21468/SciPostPhys.18.6.171Minimal areas from entangled matricesJackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. SoniWe define a relational notion of a subsystem in theories of matrix quantum mechanics and show how the corresponding entanglement entropy can be given as a minimisation, exhibiting many similarities to the Ryu-Takayanagi formula. Our construction brings together the physics of entanglement edge modes, noncommutative geometry and quantum internal reference frames, to define a subsystem whose reduced state is (approximately) an incoherent sum of density matrices, corresponding to distinct spatial subregions. We show that in states where geometry emerges from semiclassical matrices, this sum is dominated by the subregion with minimal boundary area. As in the Ryu-Takayanagi formula, it is the computation of the entanglement that determines the subregion. We find that coarse-graining is essential in our microscopic derivation, in order to control the proliferation of highly curved and disconnected non-geometric subregions in the sum.https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.18.6.171
spellingShingle Jackson R. Fliss, Alexander Frenkel, Sean A. Hartnoll, Ronak M. Soni
Minimal areas from entangled matrices
SciPost Physics
title Minimal areas from entangled matrices
title_full Minimal areas from entangled matrices
title_fullStr Minimal areas from entangled matrices
title_full_unstemmed Minimal areas from entangled matrices
title_short Minimal areas from entangled matrices
title_sort minimal areas from entangled matrices
url https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.18.6.171
work_keys_str_mv AT jacksonrflissalexanderfrenkelseanahartnollronakmsoni minimalareasfromentangledmatrices