Defect Relative Entropy

Abstract

We introduce the concept of \textit{defect relative entropy} as a measure of distinguishability within the space of defects. We compute the defect relative entropy for conformal/topological defects, deriving a universal formula in conformal field theories (CFTs) on a circle. This formula reduces to the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Furthermore, we provide a detailed expression of the defect relative entropy for diagonal CFTs with specific topological defect choices, utilizing the theory's modular $\mathcal{S}$ matrix. We also present a general formula for the \textit{ defect sandwiched Rényi relative entropy} and the \textit{defect fidelity}. Through explicit calculations in specific models, including the Ising model, the tricritical Ising model, and the $\widehat{su}(2)_{k}$ WZW model, we have made an intriguing finding: zero defect relative entropy between reduced density matrices associated with certain topological defect. Notably, we introduce the concept of the \textit{defect relative sector}, representing the set of topological defects with zero defect relative entropy.