Subdimensional entanglement entropy: from virtual response to mixed-state holography

Abstract: Entanglement entropy (EE) serves as a key diagnostic of quantum phases and phase transitions through bipartitions of the full system. However, recent studies on various topological phases of matter show that EE from bipartitions alone cannot effectively distinguish geometric from topological contributions. Motivated by this limitation, we introduce the \textit{subdimensional entanglement entropy} (SEE), defined for lower-dimensional \textit{subdimensional entanglement subsystems} (SESs), as a response theory characterizing many-body systems via \textit{virtual} deformations of SES geometry and topology. Analytical calculations for cluster states, discrete Abelian gauge theories, and fracton orders reveal distinct subleading SEE terms that sharply differentiate geometric and topological responses. Viewing the reduced density matrix on an SES as a mixed state, we establish a correspondence between stabilizers and mixed-state symmetries, identifying \textit{strong} and \textit{weak} classes. For SESs with nontrivial SEE, weak symmetries act as \textit{transparent patch operators} of the strong ones, forming robust \textit{transparent composite symmetries} (TCSs) that remain invariant under finite-depth quantum circuits and yield \textit{strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking} (SW-SSB). By bridging entanglement, mixed-state and categorical symmetries, holographic principles of topological order, and geometric-topological responses, SEE provides a unified framework that invites further theoretical and numerical exploration of correlated quantum matter.