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Transmission coefficients from phantom currents

Yuma Furuta1,*, Yuya Kusuki1,2,3,†, and Toshiki Onagi4,‡

  • *Contact author: furuta.yuma@phys.kyushu-u.ac.jp
  • †Contact author: kusuki.yuya@phys.kyushu-u.ac.jp
  • ‡Contact author: toshiki.onagi@yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 045008 – Published 10 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fdfb-tkz4

Abstract

A representative quantity that characterizes the dynamics of conformal interfaces is the transmission coefficient, which is defined through correlation functions of the stress tensor. Typically, this coefficient is complicated and highly dependent on its details. In this work, we introduce a new perspective based on the notion of a “phantom current”. We have shown that a spin-2 phantom current arising from the folding trick determines the transmission coefficient. As a result, our framework provides a unified explanation of known results in minimal models and the free boson, while also yielding concrete predictions for previously unexplored interfaces.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 045008– Published 10 February, 2026
  • Received 17 November 2025
  • Accepted 21 January 2026
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