Continuum canonical purifications

Abstract: We construct and characterize canonical purifications for general algebraic states, extending prior constructions by Woronowicz and by Dutta/Faulkner to general quantum field theories. Given a quantum state on a *-algebra, the canonical purification is a state on a "doubled" algebra that admits an interpretation in terms of CRT reflection. We study the conditions under which these enlarged states are "pure" in the technical sense, compute their modular conjugations, and relate them to GNS and natural-cone purifications in certain settings. In a forthcoming paper with Caminiti and Capeccia, we provide an application of this general theory to the problem of excitability in quantum field theory.