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Local geometric bounds on generalized entropy evolution along null horizons

Erik Bertram*

  • *Contact author: mail@erik-bertram.de
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 023524 – Published 8 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/w5wg-m5rc

Abstract

We develop a local and covariant framework for constraining the evolution of generalized entropy along null horizons, combining classical geometric methods with constraints from quantum field theory. Building on the quantum focusing conjecture (QFC), which restricts entropy evolution along null directions, we derive a Raychaudhuri-type differential inequality for the generalized expansion that makes its local dependence on expansion and shear explicit. The resulting relation, dΘdλ≤−θΘ+12θ2−σ2, reveals a direct interplay between expansion and shear in controlling entropy flow: shear contributes negatively and yields a monotonic suppression of the generalized expansion in shear-dominated regimes, while expansion provides a competing geometric source term. This structure provides a local geometric formulation consistent with the QFC and clarifies its interpretation as a constraint on entropy evolution. We further show that quantum extremal surfaces correspond to configurations characterized by Θ=0, whose local stability properties are governed by the same geometric data. In addition, we derive a bound on the exponential separation of nearby null generators, indicating that the same combination of expansion and shear also controls geometric instability. Our results provide a local geometric refinement of entropy bounds in semiclassical gravity and establish a direct connection between null geometry, quantum energy conditions, and entropy flow, offering a local geometric perspective on horizon thermodynamics beyond global formulations.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 023524– Published 8 July, 2026
  • Received 8 May 2026
  • Accepted 25 June 2026
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