Shape Dependence of Holographic Renyi Entropy in Conformal Field Theories

Abstract

We develop a framework for studying the well-known universal term in the Renyi entropy for an arbitrary entangling region in four-dimensional conformal field theories that are holographically dual to gravitational theories. The shape dependence of the Renyi entropy $S_n$ is described by two coefficients: $f_b(n)$ for traceless extrinsic curvature deformations and $f_c(n)$ for Weyl tensor deformations. We provide the first calculation of the coefficient $f_b(n)$ in interacting theories by relating it to the stress tensor one-point function in a deformed hyperboloid background. The latter is then determined by a straightforward holographic calculation. Our results show that a previous conjecture $f_b(n)=f_c(n)$, motivated by surprising evidence from a variety of free field theories and studies of conical defects, fails holographically.

7 pages, 1 figure; v2: typos fixed, references and minor clarifications added; v3: references and minor clarifications added, version to be published in PRL