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Nonlocal quantum field theory and quantum entanglement

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Abstract

We discuss the nonlocal nature of quantum mechanics and the link with relativistic quantum mechanics such as formulated by quantum field theory. We use here a nonlocal quantum field theory which is finite, satisfying Poincaré invariance, unitarity and microscopic causality. This nonlocal quantum field theory associates infinite derivative entire functions with propagators and vertices. We focus on proving causality and discussing its importance when constructing a relativistic field theory. We formulate scalar field theory using the functional integral in order to characterize quantum entanglement and the entanglement entropy of the theory. Using the replica trick, we compute the entanglement entropy for the theory in \(3+1\) dimensions on a cone with deficit angle. The result is free of UV divergences.

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No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Laurent Freidel, Ivan Agullo, Viktor Toth and Martin Green for helpful discussions. This research was supported in part by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Research at Perimeter Institute is supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON, N2L 2Y5, Canada

    Robin Landry & John W. Moffat

  2. Département de Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405, Orsay, France

    Robin Landry

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    John W. Moffat

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  1. Robin Landry
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Correspondence to Robin Landry.

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Landry, R., Moffat, J.W. Nonlocal quantum field theory and quantum entanglement. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 139, 71 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-04877-x

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