An Algebraic Obstruction to Ising Criticality for Finite-BCH Entanglers in Wavelet MERA

Abstract

The computational treatment of non-Gaussian entanglers could pose a significant challenge when extending the Multi-Scale Entanglement Renormalization Ansatz (MERA) to interacting quantum field theories. A natural strategy is therefore to consider polynomial entanglers for which the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff (BCH) expansion terminates at finite order. In this work, we identify an algebraic obstruction that limits the universality classes accessible to this family of entanglers. Working within the wavelet MERA (wMERA) framework applied to the interacting $ϕ^4$ theory in two dimensions, we show analytically that the effective potential generated by any finite-BCH polynomial entangler is necessarily of Landau form in the generic case, establishing mean-field universality for the full class; in non-generic, degenerate cases the resulting exponent departs from mean-field but still fails to reproduce the Ising value. As a numerical illustration, the critical exponent $β$ remains consistent with its mean-field value $β= 1/2$ across all ansätze considered, with no drift toward the Ising value $β= 1/8$ as the nonlocality range or variational complexity increases. Reproducing non-mean-field criticality therefore might require non-polynomial or infinite-BCH constructions.