High Energy Physics - Lattice

We investigate the mixing between the lowest-lying scalar glueball and the $s\overline{s}$ meson in $N_f=1$ lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) utilizing an anisotropic $16^3 \times 128$ lattice ensemble at a lattice spacing $a_s\approx 0.148\,\rm{fm}$. By solving a generalized eigenvalue problem (GEVP) for the optimized glueball and $s\overline{s}$ scalar operators in the $J^\text{PC} = 0^{++}$ channel, the masses of the two lowest-lying eigenstates are determined to be $m_1 = 1.290(20)\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $m_2 = 1.777(49)\,\mathrm{GeV}$. By extracting the couplings of these mass eigenstates to the glueball and $s\bar{s}$ operators, we determine a substantial mixing angle $|\theta| \approx 40.7(2.7)^\circ$ and a large mixing energy $x_s = 239(24)$ MeV. These results indicate a strong glueball-$s\bar{s}$ mixing in the scalar sector, providing important non-perturbative inputs for understanding the nature of the experimental isoscalar scalar mesons. The continuum limit of the mixing energy and its quark mass dependence need to be investigated in the future.

We analyze the ultraviolet divergence structure of meson susceptibilities in finite-temperature QCD, for lattice formulations with exact chiral symmetry. The bare susceptibility separates into additive divergences and a multiplicative renormalization $Z_\Gamma^{2}$. The additive divergences are temperature-independent, and are removed by the temperature subtraction. They consist of the leading power divergence $\alpha_\Gamma/(2a^2)$ from the identity operator, together with a mass-dependent logarithmic term $\propto m^2\ln(1/(am))$. The latter is present already for chirally symmetric fermions. Exact chiral symmetry forbids all mass-dependent \emph{power} divergences of the susceptibility. The multiplicative factor $Z_\Gamma^{2}$ has a logarithmic dependence on the lattice spacing, controlled by the operator anomalous dimension. We show that the symmetry ratio $\kappa_{AB} = (\chi_A^{\rm reg} - \chi_B^{\rm reg})/ (\chi_A^{\rm reg} + \chi_B^{\rm reg})$, built from temperature-subtracted susceptibilities of symmetry partners, is exactly renormalization-group invariant and scheme-independent. The additive divergence is removed by the subtraction, and the multiplicative factor cancels through the equality $Z_A = Z_B$. This equality holds for any number of flavors and any quark masses in a mass-independent scheme, unaffected by spontaneous symmetry breaking or the $U(1)_A$ anomaly. We derive the complete $Z$-factor chains for all meson channels and contrast the divergence structure with that of Wilson fermions, for which the explicit chiral-symmetry breaking induces a chiral-odd power-divergent mixing and spoils the equality $Z_A = Z_B$ on which the construction relies.

We show that no stabilizer state in a discrete realization of a local quantum field theory can flow in the continuum to the vacuum or to any state that resembles the vacuum at short distances. The argument rests on the fact that the entanglement spectrum is flat for stabilizer states but non-flat for cyclic and separating states in a local QFT as a consequence of the type III$_1$ nature of the von Neumann algebras associated with arbitrary subregions. Our result implies that simulating physically relevant QFT states necessarily requires quantum resources beyond stabilizer states and Clifford operations. We comment on the implications for holography.

We investigate the matrix model of two-color two-flavor QCD (matrix-QCD$_{2,2}$) in regimes with large baryon ($\mu_{_B}$), isospin ($\mu_{_I}$), and/or chiral ($c$) chemical potentials. In these regimes, the Hamiltonian simplifies considerably, making it possible to investigate the ground state for intermediate and strong Yang-Mills coupling. By diagonalizing the Hamiltonian using the variational techniques, we show that in regimes where $\mu_{_B}$ and $c$ (or $\mu_{_B}$ and $\mu_{_I}$) dominate, tuning the remaining parameters leads to quantum phase transitions (QPTs). These transitions form a complex web of phases, each of which has a ground state uniquely labelled by baryon number $B$ and isospin $I$. Several of these phases are LOFF-like, characterized by a ground state carrying non-zero spin and hence spontaneously breaking rotational symmetry. These results are consistent with older effective field theory predictions by Splittorff-Son-Stephanov \cite{Splittorff:2000mm}. The fermionic content of these LOFF-like ground states consists of spin-1 di-(anti-) quarks which are analogous to Cooper pairs. We compute the spin-fraction carried by the quarks and find that it constitutes a significant portion -- in some cases nearly the entirety -- of the total spin.

We study the heavy quark mass dependence of the leading-twist light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) of the $\Lambda_Q$ baryon in QCD. Starting from the factorization formula that relates the QCD LCDA to the boosted heavy-quark effective theory (bHQET) LCDA, we derive a first-order partial differential equation governing this mass dependence in the peak region. The equation is solved analytically, and the explicit factor connecting LCDAs at different heavy quark masses is presented. We further incorporate Borel-resummed perturbative corrections from a renormalon model into the factorization. The impact of these renormalon corrections on the mass dependence is studied, and a numerical analysis using a simple LCDA model is performed to illustrate the behavior and to assess the uncertainties arising from the corrections, thereby providing a numerical estimate of the associated power corrections to the mass dependence. Our results provide an essential tool for extrapolating lattice QCD calculations of heavy-baryon LCDAs from smaller simulated masses to the physical bottom quark mass.

The quest to understand three-body dynamics from first-principle QCD includes the study of non-resonant and resonant systems. The isospin $I=2$ system is of particular interest having no three-body resonance but featuring a resonance in a sub-channel, while also being a coupled-channel problem. In this study, we calculate the finite-volume spectrum from lattice QC at two different pion masses, map the amplitude to the infinite volume through a generalized FVU three-body quantization condition, investigate the limit of a narrow $\rho$, and compare with an effective Lagrangian prediction at leading order. Chiral extrapolations between different pion masses are performed.

We perform a comprehensive study of the properties of Dirac eigenvalue spectrum in QCD as a function of temperature on the lattice. In addition to effects due to interplay between interactions and disorder inherently present in a many-body system, the Dirac spectrum also contains crucial information about the effective restoration of different subgroups of almost exact two-flavor chiral symmetry in QCD. We calculate the infrared eigenvalues of the overlap Dirac operator on 2+1 flavor QCD ensembles generated using domain wall fermion discretization, on a large volume lattice. From the normalized level spacing ratios, we identify those eigenvalues that have intermediate level statistics, distinctly different from the majority in the bulk spectrum that follow universal level fluctuations similar to a random matrix of Gaussian unitary type. We provide an explanation of these intermediate level ratios in terms of a specific random matrix model and quantify the correlation between these eigenstates and disorder in the gauge fields manifested in the renormalized Polyakov loop values. Whereas the existence of intermediate eigenmodes is intimately connected to the effective restoration of different subgroups of chiral symmetry close to chiral crossover transition, their origin can be traced to random uncorrelated disorder at higher temperatures when the $U_A(1)$ is effectively restored. We also, for the first time, calculate the Thouless conductance for the Dirac spectrum that quantifies the structural rigidity of the eigenvectors, and use it as a diagnostic tool to understand the restoration of the anomalous $U_A(1)$ subgroup of chiral symmetry and localization driven by disorder.

We present the one-loop renormalization of the improved gluonic energy-momentum tensor (EMT) by employing a three-loop-improved clover discretization of the field-strength tensor in pure SU(3) lattice gauge theory. The renormalization factor is extracted by matching the amputated two-gluon matrix element of the lattice energy-momentum tensor to the continuum MSbar scheme. The one-loop contribution is separated into sail, operator-tadpole, and external-leg corrections, each expressed in terms of a minimal set of scalar Brillouin-zone integrals to obtain the explicit expression for the finite lattice coefficient B_lat(u_0) and the multiplicative renormalization factor Z_T(u_0) associated with the traceless spin-2 component of the energy-momentum tensor. A key result, obtained in this framework, is the clear distinction between two sectors: the spin-2 sector, governed by Z_T, and the scalar trace sector, which encompasses the Yang-Mills trace anomaly. The trace is determined by the scalar operator F_{\rho\sigma}F_{\rho\sigma} and the Yang-Mills beta function, rather than by the spin-2 renormalization factor. The renormalized EMT modifies the normalization and short-distance behaviour of energy-density correlators through both traceless and scalar-channel contributions. Comparison with existing lattice thermodynamic data demonstrates that the improved operator accurately reproduces the expected temperature dependence of the trace anomaly and offers a systematically improvable framework for investigating the equation of state, gluon condensate, and transport coefficients in lattice QCD.

We report the first complete lattice-QCD determination of the leading-twist light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs) of the $\Lambda$ baryon, obtained as full two-dimensional functions of the valence-quark momentum fractions. The calculation employs large-momentum effective theory to relate the light-cone amplitudes to equal-time nonlocal three-quark matrix elements of boosted $\Lambda$ baryons. Controlled physical extrapolations to the continuum, physical pion mass, and infinite momentum, together with hybrid renormalization, large-$\lambda$ extrapolation, and perturbative matching, yield the three leading-twist LCDAs $V$, $A$, and $T$. Using the lattice-determined LCDAs in place of the asymptotic form, we find an $\mathcal{O}(10\%)$ shift in the $\Lambda$ electromagnetic form factor at perturbative scales, demonstrating that the full two-dimensional LCDAs, rather than only their asymptotic shapes or lowest moments, are required for precision baryonic phenomenology. This work, together with the companion paper [1] detailing the baryon-LaMET framework, provides the first complete multi-dimensional $x$-dependent baryon LCDAs from first principles and establishes a benchmark for lattice access to multi-dimensional baryon structure.

Baryon light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs) are inherently multidimensional objects parametrized by two independent longitudinal momentum fractions, making their first-principles determination substantially more challenging than that of meson LCDAs. We present a systematic large-momentum effective theory (LaMET) framework for determining baryon leading-twist LCDAs from lattice QCD. The framework covers the complete path from equal-time three-quark quasi-distribution amplitudes to physical baryon LCDAs. We formulate the leading-twist $V$, $A$, and $T$ quasi-DAs and analyze their spin-flavor and coordinate-space symmetries, including antisymmetric amplitudes with vanishing local limits. We develop a hybrid renormalization prescription on the $(z_1,z_2)$ plane, introduce a newly developed large-$\lambda$ extrapolation strategy based on the asymptotic large-distance behavior of Euclidean correlators, and derive the corresponding one-loop LaMET matching relation in the hybrid renormalization scheme. As a demonstration, we apply the complete analysis pipeline to the $\Lambda$-baryon $A$-structure quasi-DAs using seven $2+1$--flavor lattice ensembles, and use this amplitude to examine the impact of large-distance extrapolation, perturbative matching, and extrapolation to the continuum, physical-pion-mass, and infinite-momentum limits, together with the associated systematic uncertainties. This work provides the formalism, renormalization, extrapolation, and matching infrastructure for first-principles determinations of $x$-dependent baryon LCDAs.

Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) have emerged as a powerful framework for exploring the internal structure of hadrons in terms of their partonic constituents. Over the past three decades, the field has witnessed significant theoretical and experimental advancements. The interpretation of GPDs in impact parameter space offers a vivid three-dimensional visualization of hadron structure, correlating longitudinal momentum and transverse spatial distributions, thereby enabling tomographic imaging of hadrons. Furthermore, the link between GPDs and the matrix elements of the QCD energy-momentum tensor provides access to fundamental properties of hadrons, including spin decomposition and internal pressure distributions. Notably, recent analyses of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) data have enabled the empirical extraction of the quark pressure profile inside the proton. Motivated by the rapidly evolving experimental landscape, this white paper provides a timely and focused overview of recent developments in GPD theory, phenomenology, and lattice QCD studies. Its scope is shaped by the needs and opportunities of forthcoming experimental programs, and it highlights advances that are particularly relevant for the next generation of dedicated measurements, including the extended Jefferson Lab 12 GeV program and its potential 22 GeV upgrade, J-PARC, COMPASS/AMBER, LHC ultra-peripheral collisions, and the future electron-ion colliders EIC and EicC.

We study entanglement entropy (EE) in interacting quantum field theories (QFTs) at finite density. We argue that, in the limit of large subregions, the derivative of EE with respect to the size of the entangling region approaches the thermal entropy density, independently of microscopic details. We make this relation explicit using slab-shaped subregions, where the limiting behavior can be directly identified. At finite chemical potential, we show that EE satisfies thermodynamic response relations, including a generalized Maxwell relation linking chemical potential and charge density. We provide strong nonperturbative evidence for these statements in the three-dimensional O(4) model, and conjecture that they are generic features of continuum QFTs, establishing a two-way link between entanglement and thermodynamics that opens a route toward extracting the equation-of-state information from entanglement data.

According to the $B$-mesogenesis framework, the baryon asymmetry of the Universe and dark matter can be simultaneously generated through CP-violating $B$-meson oscillations. In this mechanism, $B$-mesons decay into a Standard Model baryon and a dark-sector antibaryon, denoted by $\psi_{DS}$. Within this scenario, we investigate the allowed mass window for $\psi_{DS}$ using Light Cone Sum Rules (LCSR) for $B_d\rightarrow\Lambda \, \psi_{DS}$ decay. To include nonperturbative effects, we employ contributions up to twist-6 of the $\Lambda$ distribution amplitudes in the operator product expansion (OPE). We derive the branching fraction as a function of dark antibaryon mass and, by comparing with the experimental limits by the BaBar and Belle collaborations, determine the mass ranges of $\psi_{DS}$ consistent with the $B$-mesogenesis mechanism.

Two observers of the same physical system may differ in gauge by a group element acting on their common vector representations, and recovering that element from finite, noisy paired observations is useful in both theory and experiment. The Kabsch and Horn algorithms solve this problem for rotated frames in $\mathbb R^3$ (i.e. $SO(3)$); our earlier Lie algebra method extends it to the Lorentz group $SO(3,1)_+$. Here we report explicit formulae for the Lie algebra method on the classical matrix Lie groups ($GL(n)$, $SL(n)$, $SO(n)$, $U(n)$, $SO(p,q)$, $Sp(n)$, $Spin(n)$, and $SE(n)$) over the real and complex fields. The four steps (pseudoinverse, matrix logarithm, projection onto the Lie algebra, matrix exponential) are exact for noiseless data. Only the projection is group-dependent, and we show it yields the unique least squares-optimal element of the Lie algebra whenever its image lies in $\mathfrak g$ and its residual is orthogonal to $\mathfrak g$. For noisy data the method is optimal only to leading order, so we add a quasi-Newton correction whose accuracy interpolates between the uncorrected method and direct least squares optimization. The projections, their optimality, and the identity underlying the correction are formally proven in Lean 4.31.0 with Mathlib, and numerical experiments are benchmarked in Julia.