Planar RG Flows on Line Defects

Abstract

We study a class of renormalization group flows on line defects that can be described by a generalized free field with ordered planar contractions on the line. They are realized, for example, in large $N$ gauge theories with matter in the fundamental representation and arise generically in non-relativistic CFTs. We analyze the flow exactly and compute the change in the $g$-function between the UV and IR fixed points. We relate the result to the change in the two-point function of the displacement operator and check the monotonicity of the defect entropy along the flow analytically. Finally, we give a general realization of this type of flow starting from the direct sum of the IR fixed point and a trivial line. This type of defect renormalization group flow parallels the well-studied case of double-trace flow.