Lattice topological defects in nonunitary conformal field theories
Phys. Rev. B 114, 084107 – Published 17 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1sqr-9n7d
Abstract
Topological defects play a fundamental role in the investigation of symmetries in quantum field theories. For conformal field theories in two space-time dimensions, it is possible to construct these defects using lattice models allowing ab initio analytical and numerical computations of their characteristics. In this work, topological defects are investigated in nonunitary conformal field theories using appropriate variations of the restricted solid-on-solid models. The relevant impurity models and the corresponding defect operators are constructed for the lattice system. Numerical computations are performed for the energy spectrum, eigenvalues of the defect operators, as well as thermodynamic characteristics and compared with analytical predictions. Finally, renormalization group flows between the different fixed points are analyzed using numerical methods.
