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Extracting light-cone wave functions from covariant amplitudes: A detailed study in scalar field theory

Stéphane Munier

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 036015 – Published 11 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/63qq-rx6g

Abstract

We propose a conjectured formula that systematically maps covariant off-shell amplitudes to light-cone wave functions in scalar field theory. Through an explicit comparison at one-loop accuracy, we establish its equivalence to the light-cone perturbation theory series, thereby validating the conjecture at this order. Applying this formula, we efficiently rederive wave functions from known covariant amplitudes, bypassing both the conceptual complexities of light-cone quantization and the technical challenges of perturbative calculations in this framework. In addition to simplifying computations, this approach opens new avenues for applications in gauge theories and deeper explorations of the fundamental equivalence between covariant and light-cone quantization.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 036015– Published 11 August, 2026
  • Received 10 February 2026
  • Accepted 13 July 2026
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