Nonperturbative effects in $T\bar{T}$-deformed conformal field theories: A toy model for Planckian physics

Abstract

We propose a nonperturbative completion of two-point correlators in $T\bar{T}$-deformed conformal field theories (CFTs), and analyze their behavior at distance scales shorter than the fundamental length scale set by the $T\bar{T}$ deformation. Building on the interpretation of the $T\bar{T}$ deformation as a coupling to two-dimensional quantum gravity with a unique built-in length scale, we advance the study of $T\bar{T}$-deformed CFTs as a toy model for Planckian physics. As we probe shorter distances, trans-Planckian oscillations are followed by a super-Planckian regime in which correlations are typically suppressed by geometric randomness, in contrast to the power-law growth characteristic of CFTs. Moreover, their dependence on distance becomes exponentially weaker, suggesting that the underlying geometric structure has been largely erased -- a behavior broadly consistent with expectations for quantum spacetime in this regime.

16 pages, 5 figures; v2: minor modifications, references added