Spatial Anisotropy in Nonrelativistic Holography

Abstract

We examine holographic theories where Lifshitz symmetry is broken with spatial anisotropy. In particular, we focus on the conditions imposed by the null energy condition, and demonstrate that it is possible to have unusual anisotropic fixed points where a subset of the spatial dimensions have negative scaling exponents. We also construct interpolating solutions between UV and IR fixed points and show that there is essentially no restriction placed on the endpoints of the flow once anisotropic scaling is allowed. As an example, we demonstrate a flow from AdS to AdS with $c_{IR}>c_{UV}$ that is allowed by the null energy condition since it proceeds through an intermediate Lorentz-violating region. Finally, we examine the holographic Green's function in anisotropic Lifshitz spacetimes.