Quadratic gravity with propagating torsion and asymptotic freedom

We consider a class of metric-affine gravitational theories with action quadratic in curvature and torsion tensors. Using the heat kernel technique, we compute the torsion contributions to the one-loop counterterms in the ultraviolet limit. It is found that vectorial and axial components of torsion preserve the qualitative picture of the renormalization group flow of the metric sector. However, there exists a specific nonminimal kinetic term for the pure tensorial (hook-antisymmetric traceless) component of torsion that renders the gravitational couplings asymptotically free in the absence of tachyons.