Related papers: At the Corner of Quantum and Gravity
Without a complete theory of quantum gravity, the question of how quantum fields and quantum particles behave in a superposition of spacetimes seems beyond the reach of theoretical and experimental investigations. Here we use an extension…
Gravity can be formulated as a gauge theory by combining symmetry principles and geometrical methods in a consistent mathematical framework. The gauge approach to gravity leads directly to non-Euclidean, post-Riemannian spacetime…
We argue that a consistent coupling of a quantum theory to gravity requires an extension of ordinary `first order' Riemannian geometry to second order Riemannian geometry, which incorporates both a line element and an area element. This…
A family of diffeomorphism-invariant Seiberg--Witten deformations of gravity is constructed. In a first step Seiberg--Witten maps for an SO(1,3) gauge symmetry are obtained for constant deformation parameters. This includes maps for the…
Quantum gauge theory in the connection representation uses functions of holonomies as configuration observables. Physical observables (gauge and diffeomorphism invariant) are represented in the Hilbert space of physical states; physical…
Spinor structure and internal symmetries are considered within one theoretical framework based on the generalized spin and abstract Hilbert space. Complex momentum is understood as a generating kernel of the underlying spinor structure. It…
We address the role of large diffeomorphisms in Witten's 2+1 gravity on the manifold ${\bf R} \times T^2$. In a ``spacelike sector" quantum theory that treats the large diffeomorphisms as a symmetry, rather than as gauge, the Hilbert space…
We present new second derivative, generally covariant theories of gravity for spherically symmetric spacetimes (general covariance is in the $t-r$ plane) belonging to the class where the spherically symmetric Einstein-Hilbert theory is…
We derive the non-linear semiclassical equation of motion for a general diffeomorphism-invariant theory of gravity by leveraging the thermodynamic properties of closed causal horizons. Our work employs two complementary approaches. The…
A simple diffeomorphism invariant theory of connections with the non-compact structure group R of real numbers is quantized. The theory is defined on a four-dimensional 'space-time' by an action resembling closely the self-dual Plebanski…
We model spherically symmetric black holes within the group field theory formalism for quantum gravity via generalised condensate states, involving sums over arbitrarily refined graphs (dual to 3d triangulations). The construction relies…
Developing a theory for quantum gravity is one of the big open questions in theoretical high-energy physics. Recently, a tensor model approach has been considered that treats tensors as the generators of commutative non-associative…
We discuss two distinct realizations of the diffeomorphism group for metric gravity, which give rise to theories that are classically equivalent, but quantum mechanically distinct. We renormalize them in $d=2+\epsilon$ dimensions,…
A new formal scheme is presented in which Einstein's classical theory of General Relativity appears as the common, invariant sector of a one-parameter family of different theories. This is achieved by replacing the Poincare` group of the…
The Poincar\'e sector of a recently deformed conformal algebra is proposed to describe, after the identification of the deformation parameter with the Planck length, the symmetries of a new relativistic theory with two observer-independent…
A new non-perturbative approach to quantum theory in curved spacetime and to quantum gravity, based on a generalisation of the Wigner equation, is proposed. Our definition for a Wigner equation differs from what have otherwise been…
The quest for a quantum gravity phenomenology has inspired a quantum notion of space-time, which motivates us to study the fate of the relativistic symmetries of a particular model of quantum space-time, as well as its intimate connection…
In the last 20 years, loop quantum gravity, a background independent approach to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, has been widely investigated. The aim of loop quantum gravity is to construct a mathematically rigorous,…
We present quantum holonomy theory, which is a non-perturbative theory of quantum gravity coupled to fermionic degrees of freedom. The theory is based on a C*-algebra that involves holonomy-diffeomorphisms on a 3-dimensional manifold and…
In the canonical quantization of gravity in terms of the Ashtekar variables one uses paths in the 3-space to construct the quantum states. Usually, one restricts oneself to families of paths admitting only finite number of isolated…