---
title: 5D Rotating Lifshitz Black Holes
url: https://www.emergentmind.com/topics/five-dimensional-rotating-lifshitz-black-holes
type: topic
---

# 5D Rotating Lifshitz Black Holes

A five-dimensional rotating Lifshitz black hole is a solution to higher-dimensional gravity theories where the spacetime metric exhibits Lifshitz scaling symmetry, generalizing the more familiar asymptotically AdS black holes to non-relativistic, scale-invariant backgrounds. The most explicit class of such objects—charged and rotating five-dimensional black holes with both electric and axionic charges—has been constructed recently by Bravo-Gaete et al. [2601.18048]. These configurations hold particular significance for gauge/gravity duality applications, especially in the context of non-relativistic holography.

## 1. Definition and Metric Structure

Five-dimensional rotating Lifshitz black holes are solutions to the Einstein equations with couplings to a dilaton, multiple Abelian gauge fields, axionic scalars, and generalized Chern-Simons terms. The essential feature is the asymptotic Lifshitz symmetry with scaling $(t,\,x_i,\,r)\to(\lambda^z t,\,\lambda x_i,\,r/\lambda)$, where the dynamical critical exponent $z$ parametrizes anisotropic scaling between temporal and spatial coordinates. In the construction of Bravo-Gaete et al., the metric ansatz is
\[
ds^2 = -N(r)^2 f(r)\,dt^2 + \frac{dr^2}{f(r)} + r^2\bigl(d\phi + N^\phi(r)\,dt\bigr)^2 + r^2(dx^2 + dy^2),
\]
with
\[
N(r) = \left(\frac{r}{\ell}\right)^{z-1}, \quad
f(r) = \frac{r^2}{\ell^2} - \frac{M \ell^{z+1}}{r^{z+1}} + \frac{(5-z)\ell^{2(z-1)} J^2}{2(z-2) r^6}, \quad
N^\phi(r) = \frac{J}{r^{5-z}}.
\]
Here, $\ell$ is the Lifshitz radius, $M$ and $J$ are the mass and rotation (angular momentum) integration constants. The coordinates $(t,\,r,\,\phi,\,x,\,y)$ assign $\phi$ as a periodic direction and $(x,\,y)$ as planar.

As $r \to \infty$, the spacetime reduces to the five-dimensional Lifshitz vacuum:
\[
ds^2 \sim -r^{2z} dt^2 + \frac{dr^2}{r^2} + r^2(d\phi^2 + dx^2 + dy^2).
\]
Curvature singularities are located at $r=0$, and real, asymptotically Lifshitz black hole solutions exist for $2 < z \leq 3$.

## 2. Matter Content and Couplings

These solutions are supported by a dilaton field $\phi$, two Maxwell fields $A^{(i)}$, two axions $\psi^{(i)}$, and nondynamical one-form doublets $(B^{(i)}, C^{(i)})$. The action (with $2\kappa=1$) is
\[
S = \int d^5x \sqrt{-g} \left[ R - 2\Lambda - \frac{1}{2}(\partial\phi)^2 - \sum_{i=1}^2 \left( e^{\alpha_i \phi}F^{(i)}_{\mu\nu}F^{(i)\,\mu\nu} + \frac{1}{2}e^{\eta\phi}(\partial\psi^{(i)})^2 \right) \right]
+ 2\sum_{i=1}^2\lambda_i\int A^{(i)}\wedge H^{(i)}\wedge K^{(i)},
\]
where $F^{(i)}=dA^{(i)}$, $H^{(i)}=dB^{(i)}$, $K^{(i)}=dC^{(i)}$, and the cosmological constant is $\Lambda = -\frac{(z+3)(z+2)}{2\ell^2}$. Coupling constants $\alpha_i$, $\eta$, and $\alpha$ are fixed as $\alpha_1 = \eta = -\alpha$, $\alpha_2 = +\alpha/3$, with $\alpha=6/\sqrt{6(z-1)}$.

The matter fields take the form:
- Dilaton: $e^{\phi(r)} = \mu\, r^{\sqrt{6(z-1)}}$
- Maxwell 1: $A^{(1)}_t \sim (r^{z+3} - r_h^{z+3})$ supporting the Lifshitz scaling at infinity.
- Maxwell 2: $A^{(2)}_t \sim J(r^{-(5-z)} - r_h^{-(5-z)})$, providing the rotational structure.
- Axions: $\psi^{(i)} \propto J\,x_{i+1}$, contributing to rotation and the Chern-Simons source terms.

Generalized Chern-Simons couplings are essential for the existence of rotating solutions with Lifshitz asymptotics.

## 3. Parameter Range and Physical Properties

The solutions exist for the dynamical exponent $z$ in the range $2 < z \leq 3$. The physical parameters are encoded in the constants $M$ (mass) and $J$ (rotation). The system admits black holes with both inner and outer horizons for suitable values of $M$ and $J$; at extremality, the horizons coincide ($f(r_\text{ext}) = f'(r_\text{ext}) = 0$). Setting $J=0$ recovers the static, electrically charged Lifshitz black brane solutions.

A characteristic feature is that the axionic gradients and the Chern-Simons terms are strictly required for nonzero rotation while preserving asymptotic Lifshitz scaling. As in relativistic rotating black holes, the solution maintains a regular causal structure provided the horizon lies outside the region of closed timelike curves, and cosmic censorship requires $M>0$.

## 4. Thermodynamics

The thermodynamic properties are fully controlled by the outer horizon radius $r_h$ ($f(r_h)=0$) and the symmetry volume $\sigma = \Sigma_{x,y,\phi}$. The key thermodynamic quantities are:
- Entropy: $S=\frac{2\pi r_h^3 \sigma}{\kappa}$
- Temperature: $T=\frac{(z+3) r_h^z}{4\pi \ell^{z+1}} + \frac{(5-z)^2 J^2 \ell^{z-1}}{8\pi (z-2) r_h^{8-z}}$
- Physical Mass:
  \[
  M_\text{phys} = \frac{3 r_h^{z+3}\sigma}{2\kappa \ell^{z+1}} + \frac{3(5-z) J^2 \ell^{z-1} \sigma}{4\kappa (z-2) r_h^{5-z}}
  \]
- Physical Angular Momentum: $J_\text{phys} = -\frac{(5-z) J \ell^{z-1} \sigma}{2\kappa}$
- Horizon Angular Velocity: $\Omega_H = -J / r_h^{5-z}\,$

The electric charge, electric potential, axionic charges $(\omega_a^{(i)})$, and axionic potentials $(\Psi_a^{(i)})$ are similarly defined, with $Q_e$ proportional to $J$ and potentials determined by the difference in gauge potentials between the horizon and infinity.

The first law of black hole thermodynamics is verified explicitly:
\[
dM_\text{phys} = T\,dS + \Omega_H\,dJ_\text{phys} + \Phi_e\,dQ_e + \sum_{i=1}^2 \Psi_a^{(i)}\,d\omega_a^{(i)}.
\]
The Smarr relation, derived via Euler scaling, reads
\[
M_\text{phys} = \frac{1}{z+3} \left[ 3 T S + 4 \Omega_H J_\text{phys} + 4 \sum_{i=1}^2 \Psi_a^{(i)} \omega_a^{(i)} \right].
\]
Using the relations among thermodynamic conjugate pairs, this may be further simplified.

## 5. Comparison to Other Five-Dimensional Rotating Lifshitz Black Holes

The family of solutions by Herrera–Aguilar et al. [2104.14514] generalizes rotating Lifshitz black holes to $d$ dimensions within Einstein–Maxwell–Dilaton theory, allowing multiple independent rotation parameters. In five dimensions, the metric supports two angular momenta $(a_1,\,a_2)$ and their associated velocities, extending the single-parameter rotational structure described above.

For both constructions:
- The dynamical exponent $z$ is a continuous parameter ($z\geq 1$ in [2104.14514], $2 < z \leq 3$ in [2601.18048]).
- The only curvature singularity lies at $r=0$, and $M > 0$ is required for regular black holes.
- The Smarr relation and first law hold with appropriately generalized thermodynamic potentials.
- In [2104.14514], local and global thermodynamic stability are controlled by heat capacities $C_{\Omega_i}$, $C_{J_i}$, and the “new thermodynamic geometry" metric; instabilities arise at specific values of the angular velocities related to the exponent $z$.

A distinct feature of the solutions in [2601.18048] is the explicit presence of both electric and axionic charges, supported by two Maxwell fields, two axionic scalars, and Chern-Simons couplings.

## 6. Applications and Holographic Implications

Rotating Lifshitz black holes are motivated by applications in gauge/gravity duality as gravitational backgrounds dual to non-relativistic field theories with anisotropic scaling. The charged, axionic, and rotating structure enables the modeling of:
- Holographic superconductors, where the condensation of a dual scalar operator and the frequency-dependent conductivity reflect the effects of rotation and the dynamical exponent.
- The suppression of the superconducting condensate and the weakening of the phase transition with increasing rotation parameter $J$.
- The enhancement of superconducting order as $z$ increases, holding potential significance for non-relativistic condensed matter analogs.

These properties establish five-dimensional rotating Lifshitz black holes as a core tool in the study of non-relativistic holography beyond static spacetimes [2601.18048].

## 7. Stability and Causality

Stability analysis in these backgrounds requires attention to both local (heat-capacity-based) and global (thermodynamic geometry) criteria. For suitable ranges of the rotation parameters and the dynamical exponent, the black holes are locally and globally stable. However, for large angular velocities or at extremal horizons, instabilities may emerge or regions with closed timelike curves can develop (as noted for the two-parameter rotation case in [2104.14514]), imposing bounds on admissible solutions.

Both [2601.18048] and [2104.14514] demonstrate that, except at $r=0$, the metrics are regular and asymptotically approach constant curvature invariants, compatible with the expected behavior of non-relativistic, higher-dimensional black holes.

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The explicit construction and thermodynamic validation of five-dimensional rotating Lifshitz black holes with both electric and axionic charges open new directions in the study of non-relativistic holography, black hole physics, and the interplay between rotation, charge, and anisotropic scaling in higher-dimensional spacetimes [2601.18048][2104.14514].

Source: https://www.emergentmind.com/topics/five-dimensional-rotating-lifshitz-black-holes