We construct the q-deformed version of two four-dimensional spin foam models, the Euclidean and Lorentzian versions of the EPRL model. The q-deformed models are based on the representation theory of two copies of U_q(su(2)) at a root of unity and on the quantum Lorentz group with a real deformation parameter. For both models we give a definition of the quantum EPRL intertwiners, study their convergence and braiding properties and construct an amplitude for the four-simplexes. We find that both of the resulting models are convergent.
In this article, we consider an ad-hoc deformation of the EPRL model for quantum gravity by a cosmological constant term. This sort of deformation has been first introduced by Han for the case of the $4$-simplex. In this article, we generalise the deformation to the case of arbitrary vertices, and compute its large-$j$-asymptotics. We show that, if the boundary data corresponds to a $4d$ polyhedron $P$, then the asymptotic formula gives the usual Regge action plus a cosmological constant term. We pay particular attention to the determinant of the Hessian matrix, and show that it can be related…
A number of approaches to four-dimensional quantum gravity, such as loop quantum gravity and holography, situate areas as their fundamental variables. However, this choice of kinematics can easily lead to gravitational dynamics peaked on flat spacetimes. We show that this is due to how regions are glued in the gravitational path integral via a discrete spin foam model. We introduce a family of `effective' spin foam models that incorporate a quantum area spectrum, impose gluing constraints as strongly as possible, and leverage the discrete general relativity action to specify amplitudes. These …
Spin Foam Models (SFMs) are covariant formulations of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) in 4 dimensions. This work studies the perturbations of SFMs on a flat background. It demonstrates for the first time that smooth curved spacetime geometries satisfying Einstein equation can emerge from discrete SFMs under an appropriate low energy limit, which corresponds to a semiclassical continuum limit of SFMs. In particular, we show that the low energy excitations of SFMs on a flat background give all smooth solutions of linearized Einstein equations (spin-2 gravitons). This indicates that at the linearized …
We give a general definition of spin foam models, and then of models of 4d quantum gravity based on constraining BF theory. We highlight the construction and quantization ambiguities entering model building, among which the choice of quantization map applied to the B variables carrying metric information after imposing simplicity constraints, and the different strategies for imposing the latter constraints. We then construct a new spin foam model for 4d quantum gravity, using the flux representation of states and amplitudes, based on the Duflo quantization map and the associated non-commutativ…
In this article we consider specific bivector geometries which arise in the large-spin limit of the extension of the Engle-Pereira-Rovelli-Livine spin foam model for quantum gravity by Kaminski, Kisielowski and Lewandowski. We address the implementation of volume simplicity constraints, which are required to ensure that a $4d$ metric can be reconstructed from the bivector geometry. We find that the necessary conditions are closely related, but not quite equal to the Hopf link volume simplicity constraints introduced in earlier works. We estimate the number of independent geometricity condition…
Quantum computers are an increasingly hopeful means for understanding large quantum many-body systems bearing high computational complexity. Such systems exhibit complex evolutions of quantum states, and are prevailing in fundamental physics, e.g., quantum gravity. Computing the transition amplitudes between different quantum states by quantum computers is one of the promising ways to solve such computational complexity problems. In this work, we apply a 10-qubit superconducting quantum processor, where the all-to-all circuit connectivity enables a many-body entangling gate that is highly effi…
The U(1)$^3$ model for 3+1 Euclidian signature general relativity is an interacting, generally covariant field theory with two physical polarisations that shares many features of Lorentzian general relativity. In particular, it displays a non-trivial realisation of the hypersurface deformation algebroid with non-trivial, i.e. phase space dependent structure functions rather than structure constants. In this paper we show that the model admits {\it an exact quantisation}. The quantisation rests on the observation that for this model and in the chosen representation of the canonical commutation …
Schemes of gravitationally induced decoherence are being actively investigated as possible mechanisms for the quantum-to-classical transition. Here, we introduce a decoherence process due to quantum gravity effects. We assume a foamy quantum spacetime with a fluctuating minimal length coinciding on average with the Planck scale. Considering deformed canonical commutation relations with a fluctuating deformation parameter, we derive a Lindblad master equation that yields localization in energy space and decoherence times consistent with the currently available observational evidence. Compared t…
We construct a family of four-dimensional noncommutative deformations of $U(1)$ gauge theory following a general scheme, recently proposed in JHEP 08 (2020) 041 for a class of coordinate-dependent noncommutative algebras. This class includes the $\mathfrak{su}(2)$, the $\mathfrak{su}(1,1)$ and the angular (or $λ$-Minkowski) noncommutative structures. We find that the presence of a fourth, commutative coordinate $x^0$ leads to substantial novelties in the expression for the deformed field strength with respect to the corresponding three-dimensional case. The constructed field theoretical models…
