A Gaussian free field approach to the natural parametrisation of \(\mathrm{SLE}_4\) (Q6177625)

The authors are interested in the Schramm-Loewner evolution, \(SLE_k\) with \(k > 0\), and this paper treats a Gaussian free field approach to the natural parametrization of \(SLE_4\). The Schramm-Loewner evolution, \(SLE_k\) \(( k > 0)\), introduced in [\textit{O. Schramm}, Isr. J. Math. 118, 221--288 (2000; Zbl 0968.60093)] is a one-parameter family of random conformally invariant curves which arise as the scaling limits of statistical mechanics models in two dimensions. The loewner differential equation is given by \[ \partial_t g_t(z) = \frac{2}{ g_t(z) - W_t}, \text{ with }g_0(z) = z, \] where \(W_t = \sqrt{ k} B_t\), \( k > 0\), and \(B_t\) is a standard Brownian motion. There exists a solution \(g_t(z)\) to (1) for each time \(t \in [0, T_z )\), where \[ T_z = \inf \{ t \geq 0: g_t(z) - W_t = 0 \}. \] Let \(K_t\) \(=\) \(\{ z \in {\mathbb H} : \, T_z \leqslant t \}\) and \(( g_t)_{t \geq 0}\) is a family of conformal maps \(g_t\) : \({\mathbb H} \setminus K_t \to {\mathbb H}\) such that \(\lim_{ z \to \infty} g_t(z) - z = 0\) (the \(SLE_k\) Loewner chain). When constructing \(\eta \sim SLE_k\) via the Loewner differential equation, the curve is parametrized by capacity, that is, if \(K_t\) is the set of points in \({\mathbb H}\) which are separated from \(\infty\) by \(\eta( [0,t])\), then \(hcap(K_t) = 2t\) for each \(t \geq 0\). In [\textit{S. Benoist}, Electron. J. Probab. 23, Paper No. 103, 16 p. (2018; Zbl 1402.60102)] the natural parametrization of \(SLE_k\) for \(k \in (0,4)\) was constructed using the Gaussian free field (GFF). More precisely, it was constructed as a conditional expectation of a certain quantum length measure on \(SLE_k\). The same was done in [\textit{J. Miller} and \textit{L. Schoug}, ``Existence and uniqueness of the conformally covariant volume measure on conformal loop ensembles'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2201.01748}] in the case of \(k \in (4,8)\), when the curves are non-simple. The goal of this paper is to complete this picture by providing the corresponding construction in the case \(k=4\). \par For a simply connected domain \(D\), denote by \(r_D(z)\) the conformal radius of \(D\) as seen from \(z \in D\). Here is the main result. \textbf{Theorem.} Let \(\eta \sim SLE_4\) and \(( f_t)\) be its cdentered Loewner chain. Let \(h^0\) be a zero-boundary Gaussian free field on \({\mathbb H}\) independent of \(\eta\) and for each \(t >0\), define \[ h^t = h^0 \circ f_t^{-1} + 2 \log \vert ( f_t^{-1})' \vert. \] The measure \(\mu^0\) on \(\eta\) is defined by \[ \mu^0 \vert_{ \eta( [0, t])} ( dz) = F(z) {\mathbb E} [ \nu_{h^t} \vert \eta ] \circ f_t( dz), \] where \(F(z) = r_{ {\mathbb H} }(z)^{- 1/2}\) and \(\nu_{h^t}\) is the critical LQG (Liouville quantum gravity) boundary length measure with respect to \(h^t\). Then, there exists a deterministic constant \(C >0\) such that a.s. \(C \mu^0\) is the natural parametrization of \(\eta\). Here the boundary length measure \(\nu_H\) is defined by \[ \nu_h (dx) := \lim_{ \varepsilon \to 0} \varepsilon \left( \log \frac{1}{\varepsilon} - \frac{ h_{\varepsilon}(x)}{2} \right) e^{ h_{\varepsilon} (x)} dx, \] where, for \(\varepsilon > 0\) and \(x \in {\mathbb R}\), \(h_{\varepsilon}(x)\) is the average value of \(h\) on \(\partial B(x, \varepsilon) \cap {\mathbb H}\). This makes sense for any \(h\) which is locally absolutely continuous with respect to a GFF. For other related works, see e.g. [\textit{B. Duplantier} et al., Liouville quantum gravity as a mating of trees. Paris: Société Mathématique de France (SMF) (2021; Zbl 1503.60003); \textit{N. Holden} and \textit{E. Powell}, Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré, Probab. Stat. 57, No. 3, 1229--1254 (2021; Zbl 1483.30029)] for conformal welding for critical Liouville quantum gravity, and [\textit{L. Schoug}, Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 178, No. 1--2, 173--233 (2020; Zbl 1471.60131)] for a multifractal boundary spectrum for \(SLE_k(\rho)\).