https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-025-01796-5
Review
Zero modes on the light front
1
Department of Physics, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, 83844, Moscow, ID, USA
2
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota-Duluth, 1023 University Drive, 55812, Duluth, MN, USA
Received:
1
February
2025
Accepted:
8
July
2025
Published online:
21
July
2025
Modes with zero longitudinal light-front momentum (zero modes) do have roles to play in the analysis of light-front field theories. These range from improvements in convergence for numerical calculations to implications for the light-front vacuum and beyond to fundamental issues in the connection with equal-time quantization. In particular, the discrepancy in values of the critical coupling for 
theory, between equal-time and light-front quantizations, would appear to be resolvable with the proper treatment of zero modes and near-zero modes. We provide a survey of these issues and point to open questions.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
