A Massive Quasi-normal Mode in the Holographic Lifshitz Theory

Abstract

We investigate the holographic renormalization of the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory which provides an asymptotic Lifshitz geometry dual to a Lifshitz field theory. In this case, the existence of a field combination with zero scaling dimension causes an ambiguity in fixing local counter terms. Nevertheless, we show that all possible local counter terms give rise to consistent thermodynamic quantities with the Lifshitz black brane results. In addition, we also study the retarded Green functions of the current and momentum operator of a non-relativistic Lifshitz field theory. In the non-zero momentum regime, the results show intriguingly that there exists a massive quasi-normal mode whose effective mass is linearly proportional to temperature and that even at zero temperature there exists a quasi-normal mode in the non-relativistic Lifshitz medium.