Wavefunctions of AdS$_3$ Universes and $T\bar{T}$-deformed Torus Partition Functions

Abstract

We study wavefunctions of quantum gravity in asymptotically AdS$_3$ spacetimes and their relation to $T\bar{T}$-deformed torus partition functions. We show that the deformed partition function is given by an invertible integral transform of bulk wavefunctions, with a kernel encoding the relation between the $T\bar{T}$ coupling and the radial or temporal coordinate in the bulk. The invertibility of the transform allows the bulk wavefunction to be reconstructed from the family of $T\bar{T}$-deformed partition functions. In the CFT limit, the kernel effectively localizes at the asymptotic boundary, recovering the standard holographic relation in which the partition function on the torus is determined by the boundary value of the bulk wavefunction. For finite deformation, the kernel shifts the effective holographic screen away from the asymptotic boundary and broadens it into a finite bulk region. A $T\bar{T}$-deformed partition function at fixed coupling corresponds to a finite-width bulk wavepacket centered around a radial or temporal location set by the deformation scale. In Euclidean signature, the construction arises naturally from wavefunctions of Rindler AdS$_3$, while after a double Wick rotation it admits a Lorentzian interpretation in terms of closed AdS$_3$ torus universes without asymptotic boundaries. Finally, we discuss the extension of the present construction to de Sitter torus universes and its implications for de Sitter holography, and comment on possible generalizations to more general spatial topologies and higher-dimensional spacetimes.