Related papers: Are the spectra of geometrical operators in Loop Q…
I argue that the prediction of physical discreteness at the Planck scale in loop gravity is a reasonable conclusion that derives from a sensible ensemble of hypotheses, in spite of some contrary arguments considered in an interesting recent…
We study and compare the spectra of geometric operators (length and area) in the quantum kinematics of two formulations of three-dimensional Lorentzian loop quantum gravity. In the SU(2) Ashtekar-Barbero framework, the spectra are discrete…
Two sets of spatially diffeomorphism invariant operators are constructed in the loop representation formulation of quantum gravity. This is done by coupling general relativity to an anti- symmetric tensor gauge field and using that field to…
Working within the framework of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG), we construct a set of three operators suitable for identifying coordinate-like quantities on a spin-network configuration. In doing so, we rely on known properties of operators for…
We construct invariant differential operators acting on sections of vector bundles of densities over a smooth manifold without using a Riemannian metric. The spectral invariants of such operators are invariant under both the diffeomorphisms…
We develop the first steps towards an analysis of geometry on the quantum spacetime proposed in [1]. The homogeneous elements of the universal differential algebra are naturally identified with operators living in tensor powers of Quantum…
Several proposals for Quantum Gravity involve length and area operators with discrete eigenvalues. I show that the analyses of some simple procedures for the measurement of areas and lengths suggest that this discreteness characterizing the…
Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is an attempt to describe the quantum gravity regime. Introducing a non-zero cosmological constant $\Lambda$ in this context has been a withstanding problem. Other approaches, such as Chern-Simons gravity, suggest…
We apply the full theory of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) to cosmology and present a top-down derivation of gauge-invariant cosmological perturbation theory from quantum gravity. The derivation employs the reduced phase space formulation of…
Motivated by a recent proposal (by Koslowski-Sahlmann) of a kinematical representation in Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) with a nondegenerate vacuum metric, we construct a polymer quantization of the parametrised massless scalar field theory on…
New results from the new variables/loop representation program of nonperturbative quantum gravity are presented, with a focus on results of Ashtekar, Rovelli and the author which greatly clarify the physical interpretation of the quantum…
A common misconception is that Lorentz invariance is inconsistent with a discrete spacetime structure and a minimal length: under Lorentz contraction, a Planck length ruler would be seen as smaller by a boosted observer. We argue that in…
A new functional calculus, developed recently for a fully non-perturbative treatment of quantum gravity, is used to begin a systematic construction of a quantum theory of geometry. Regulated operators corresponding to areas of 2-surfaces…
The Volume Operator plays a crucial role in the definition of the quantum dynamics of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG). Efficient calculations for dynamical problems of LQG can therefore be performed only if one has sufficient control over the…
An open issue in loop quantum gravity (LQG) is the introduction of a non-vanishing cosmological constant $\Lambda$. In 3d, Chern-Simons theory provides some guiding lines: $\Lambda$ appears in the quantum deformation of the gauge group. The…
Results that illuminate the physical interpretation of states of nonperturbative quantum gravity are obtained using the recently introduced loop variables. It is shown that: i) While local operators such as the metric at a point may not be…
We investigate some properties of geometric operators in canonical quantum gravity in the connection approach \`a la Ashtekar, which are associated with volume, area and length of spatial regions. We motivate the construction of analogous…
Observable states are gauge-invariant. In a non-Abelian gauge theory, these are necessarily composite operators. We investigate the spectrum of these operators in the two-Higgs-doublet model. For this purpose, we are working along the lines…
Quantum groups and non-commutative spaces have been repeatedly utilized in approaches to quantum gravity. They provide a mathematically elegant cut-off, often interpreted as related to the Planck-scale quantum uncertainty in position. We…
Gauge-invariant observables for quantum gravity are described, with explicit constructions given primarily to leading order in Newton's constant, analogous to and extending constructions first given by Dirac in quantum electrodynamics.…