On the Fourier coefficients of word maps on unitary groups

Given a word $w(x_{1},\ldots,x_{r})$, i.e., an element in the free group on $r$ elements, and an integer $d\geq1$, we study the characteristic polynomial of the random matrix $w(X_{1},\ldots,X_{r})$, where $X_{i}$ are Haar-random independent $d\times d$ unitary matrices. If $c_{m}(X)$ denotes the $m$-th coefficient of the characteristic polynomial of $X$, our main theorem implies that there is a positive constant $\epsilon(w)$, depending only on $w$, such that $$\left|\mathbb{E}\left(c_{m}\left(w(X_{1},\ldots,X_{r})\right)\right)\right|\leq\left(\begin{array}{c} d\\ m \end{array}\right)^{1-\epsilon(w)},$$ for every $d$ and every $1\leq m\leq d$. Our main computational tool is the Weingarten Calculus, which allows us to express integrals on unitary groups such as the expectation above, as certain sums on symmetric groups. We exploit a hidden symmetry to find cancellations in the sum expressing $\mathbb{E}\left(c_{m}(w)\right)$. These cancellations, coming from averaging a Weingarten function over cosets, follow from Schur's orthogonality relations.