Quantum dimension as entanglement entropy in two dimensional conformal field theories

Abstract

We study the entanglement entropy of excited states in two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFTs). In particular, we consider excited states obtained by acting on a vacuum with primary operators. We show that the entanglement entropy increases by a finite constant amount under its time evolution. Moreover, in rational conformal field theories, we prove that this increase of the (both Renyi and von Neumann) entanglement entropy always coincides with the log of the quantum dimension of the primary operator.