On a lightlike limit of entanglement

Abstract

We study certain classes of $g_{++}$ deformations of theories arising in gauge/string realizations of nonrelativistic holography, some of which pertain to $z=2$ Lifshitz theories while others (pertaining to hyperscaling violation) comprise certain classes of excited states. Building on previous work, we consider holographic entanglement entropy for spacelike strip subsystems in a highly boosted (lightlike) limit, where the strip is stretched along the null $x^+$-plane. The leading divergence in entanglement in this null limit for these excited states is milder than the usual area law for spacelike subsystems in ground states. For ground states, the entanglement vanishes, perhaps consistent with ultralocality. We discuss this briefly from a field theory perspective. We also present some simple free lightfront field theory examples in excited states where correlators are nonvanishing.