Events

Date: 31 March 2026   Time: 14:30 - 15:30

Location: MB503

NOTE: Pre talk intro for non experts starts at 2pm, with seminar starting at 2.30pm

Speaker: Julien Barrat

Title: Bootstrapping thermal CFTs

Abstract: Thermal conformal field theories (CFTs) describe quantum systems at finite temperature, with applications ranging from laboratory systems to the holographic description of black holes. Although the thermal background breaks global conformal symmetry, key local data of the zero-temperature theory—such as the spectrum and operator product expansion—remain intact. Thermal correlators are further constrained by the Kubo–Martin–Schwinger (KMS) condition, which enforces periodicity along the thermal circle and plays a role analogous to crossing symmetry in zero-temperature systems. Placing the theory at finite volume enriches this structure and, in holographic settings, allows for the emergence of distinct phases.

In this talk, I will present analytic and numerical bootstrap approaches to solving the KMS condition for thermal two-point functions. These methods reconstruct correlators from minimal input and apply across weakly and strongly coupled regimes. I will illustrate them in free theories, O(N) models, and holographic CFTs, and conclude with a brief outlook on ongoing developments.