Phase boundaries in algebraic conformal QFT

Abstract

We study the structure of local algebras in relativistic conformal quantum field theory with phase boundaries. Phase boundaries are instances of a more general notion of boundaries that give rise to a variety of algebraic structures. These can be formulated in a common framework originating in Algebraic QFT, with the principle of Einstein Causality playing a prominent role.We classify the phase boundary conditions by the centre of a certain universal construction, which produces a reducible representation in which all possible boundary conditions are realized. For a large class of models, the classification reproduces results obtained in a different approach by Fuchs et al. before.

40 pages, v3: several corrections, matches published version