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Quanta of Spacetime

Francesca Vidotto

UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY

GRAVITY IN THE QUANTUM LAB



Benasque - July 30th, 2018

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


THE ONTOLOGY OF FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS

Descartes: Res extensa Time

Newton: Bodies (particles) Space Time

Faraday-Maxwell: Particles Fields Space Time

Special Relativity: Particles Fields Spacetime

Quantum Mechanics: Quantum Fields Spacetime

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


THE ONTOLOGY OF FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS

Descartes: Res extensa Time

Newton: Bodies (particles) Space Time

Faraday-Maxwell: Particles Fields Space Time

Special Relativity: Particles Fields Spacetime

Quantum Mechanics: Quantum Fields Spacetime

General Relativity: Covariant Fields

Quantum Gravity: Covariant Quantum Fields

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


PRELIMINARY: RECALL Q.E.D.

The quanta of a field are particles (Dirac).


DISCRETENESS of the spectrum of the energy of each mode

STATES F 3 |p1 ...pn i


(F, A, W ) †
OBSERVABLES A 3 a(k), a (k)
DYNAMICS W ! F eynman rules
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
LIMIT ⟶0

DISCRETE


FUZZY


PROBABILISTIC


Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
LIMIT ⟶0

DISCRETE
 NO DISCRETENESS


FUZZY
 NO FUZZYNESS


PROBABILISTIC A CLASSICAL FIELD


Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
QUANTUM GRAVITY

Quantum granularity of spacetime (Rovelli&Smolin 1995)



DISCRETENESS of the spectrum of geometrical operators such as volume

STATES F 3 | , jl , vn i
(H, A, W)
~l
OBSERVABLES A 3 L
DYNAMICS W ! T ransition amplitudes
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
LIMIT ⟶0

DISCRETE
 NO DISCRETENESS


FUZZY
 NO FUZZYNESS


PROBABILISTIC A CLASSICAL FIELD

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


FROM QUANTUM TO CLASSICAL

FROM QUANTUM TO CLASSICAL



The classical limit is ⟶ 0 , the limit for ∞ quanta is relevant for the continuous limit

No thermodynamical limit is needed at that stage.

EMERGENCE OF SPACETIME IS STANDARD CLASSICAL EMERGENCE



just as the electromagnetic field emerges from photons

SPACETIME IN THE QUANTUM REGIME IS MADE OF QUANTA



■ there is no classical spacetime in the quantum regime

■ same as in Q.E.D. where there are photons

SPACETIME IN THE QUANTUM REGIME IS A QUANTUM PROCESS



■ states are defined by the continuity relations between quanta

■ a spinfoam is a quantum interaction, but also a spacetime region

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


Loop Quantum Gravity 

Kinematics

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto



QUANTUM GEOMETRY


⌅ l = {Li }, i = 1, 2, 3
L SU(2) generators

l
gravitational field operator (tetrad)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto



QUANTUM GEOMETRY


⌅ l = {Li }, i = 1, 2, 3
L SU(2) generators

l
gravitational field operator (tetrad)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto



QUANTUM GEOMETRY


⌅ l = {Li }, i = 1, 2, 3
L SU(2) generators

l
gravitational field operator (tetrad)
Gll

l l
X
Gauge invariant operator Gll = Ll · Ll with Gll0 = 0
l2n Al
Penrose’s spin-geometry theorem (1971), and Minkowski theorem (1897)
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto

QUANTUM GEOMETRY


⌅ l = {Li }, i = 1, 2, 3
L SU(2) generators

l
gravitational field operator (tetrad)
Gll

l l
X
Gauge invariant operator Gll = Ll · Ll with Gll0 = 0
l2n Al
Penrose’s spin-geometry theorem (1971), and Minkowski theorem (1897)
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
REPRESENTING GEMETRIES

Composite operators:

Area: A = Lil Lil .
l
Volume:
2 i j
VR = Vn , 2
Vn = | ijk Ll Ll
k
Ll” |.
9
n R
Angle: i i
Ll Ll 0

Geometry is quantized: eigenvalues are discrete


the operators do not commute
quantum superposition
coherent states

Quantum states of space, rather than states on space.

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTUM DISCRETENESS IS COMPATIBLE WITH LORENTZ

Classical discreteness breaks Lorentz invariance. Quantum discreteness does not!

Example: ROTATIONAL INVARIANCE

Classical: a vector with only 



discrete components breaks SO(3).

Quantum: quantum vector with 



discrete eigenvalues is compatible with

a SO(3) invariant theory.

Geometry is a quantum geometry!
 L L(β)


A boost do not change the spectrum L(β)
of geometrical quantities, only their L
probability to be measured.

Planck Stars Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Minimal volume

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Minimal volume

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


QUANTA OF SPACE

vn
jl

Geometry is never sharp!

Minimal volume

Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory about quanta of spacetime


Quanta have a locally Lorentz covariant description
Graph: notion of adjacency without the need of a manifold
The states are boundary states at fixed time
The physical phase space is spanned by SU(2) group variables SL(2, C) ! SU (2)

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


A REMINDER OF THE CLASSICAL THEORY

Variables e = ea dxa 2 R(1,3) and ! = !a dxa 2 sl(2, C)

Z
⇤ 1
Action S[e, ] = B[e] ^ F [ ] where B = (e ^ e) + (e ^ e)

1
Boundary B oi
= K = i
eo ^ ei and
 B ij = Li = eo ^ ei
gauge s.t. tetrads are diagonal
ni = (1, 0, 0, 0)

Simplicity constraint ~ = L
K ~

Z Z Z SL(2, C) ! SU (2)
Lorentzian area A= o
e ^e = i
K = i
L i
R R R

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


NO HIDDEN DOF
⇤ 1
Spinfoam dynamics = constrained BF theory ⇥, B = (e ^ e) + (e ^ e)

t
~ + L
K ~ =0

P0
Constantly accelerated observer: 8⇡G = 1
z Kz generators of boosts
E = aKz generator of proper time evolution
P

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


NO HIDDEN DOF
⇤ 1
Spinfoam dynamics = constrained BF theory ⇥, B = (e ^ e) + (e ^ e)

t
~ + L
K ~ =0

P0
Constantly accelerated observer: 8⇡G = 1
z Kz generators of boosts
E = aKz generator of proper time evolution
P

Frodden-Gosh-Perez ‘11: dE = a dA
black hole

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


NO HIDDEN DOF
⇤ 1
Spinfoam dynamics = constrained BF theory ⇥, B = (e ^ e) + (e ^ e)

t
~ + L
K ~ =0

P0
Constantly accelerated observer: 8⇡G = 1
z Kz generators of boosts
E = aKz generator of proper time evolution
P

Frodden-Gosh-Perez ‘11: dE = a dA = dS
T T black hole

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


NO HIDDEN DOF
⇤ 1
Spinfoam dynamics = constrained BF theory ⇥, B = (e ^ e) + (e ^ e)

t
~ + L
K ~ =0

P0
Constantly accelerated observer: 8⇡G = 1
z Kz generators of boosts
E = aKz generator of proper time evolution
P

Frodden-Gosh-Perez ‘11: dE = a dA = dS
T T black hole

Jacobson ‘95: if dE = a dA holds, then 



for any point and any observer 

the Einstein’s equations follow.

simplicity constraint + Lorentz invariance + general covariance = GR


Loop Quantum Gravity [Baez-Bunn ‘15 , Chirco,-Haggard,-Riello,-Rovelli, ‘14] Francesca Vidotto
SPINFOAM AMPLITUDES
[Engle-Pereira-Livine-Rovelli, Freidel-Krasnov ’08]

Probability amplitude P ( ) = | W | ⇥|2 4d

Amplitude associated to a state of a boundary of a 4d region

3d boundary
Superposition principle W |⇥⇥ = W( )

Locality: vertex amplitude W( ) Wv .


v

Lorentz covariance Wv = (PSL(2,C) Y v )(1I)

boundary graph
Unitary irreducible representations

Simplicity constraint ~ = L
K ~

Classical limit: GR Barrett, Dowall, Fairbain, Gomes, Hellmann, Alesci...’09 Wv

σ : spinfoam
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
SPINFOAM AMPLITUDES
[Engle-Pereira-Livine-Rovelli, Freidel-Krasnov ’08]

Probability amplitude P ( ) = | W | ⇥|2 4d

Amplitude associated to a state of a boundary of a 4d region

3d boundary
Superposition principle W |⇥⇥ = W( )

Locality: vertex amplitude W( ) Wv .


v

Lorentz covariance Wv = (PSL(2,C) Y v )(1I)

Unitary irreducible representations


a spin network history
Simplicity constraint ~ = L
K ~

Classical limit: GR Barrett, Dowall, Fairbain, Gomes, Hellmann, Alesci...’09 Wv

σ : spinfoam
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
SPINFOAM AMPLITUDES
[Engle-Pereira-Livine-Rovelli, Freidel-Krasnov ’08]

Probability amplitude P ( ) = | W | ⇥|2 4d

Amplitude associated to a state of a boundary of a 4d region

3d boundary
Superposition principle W |⇥⇥ = W( )

Locality: vertex amplitude W( ) Wv .


v

Lorentz covariance Wv = (PSL(2,C) Y v )(1I)

Unitary irreducible representations


a spin network history
Simplicity constraint ~ = L
K ~

Classical limit: GR Barrett, Dowall, Fairbain, Gomes, Hellmann, Alesci...’09 Wv

σ : spinfoam
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
SPINFOAM AMPLITUDES
[Engle-Pereira-Livine-Rovelli, Freidel-Krasnov ’08]

Probability amplitude P ( ) = | W | ⇥|2


Amplitude associated to a state of a boundary of a 4d region

Superposition principle

Locality: vertex amplitude

Lorentz covariance

Unitary irreducible representations

Simplicity constraint

Classical limit: GR

www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~rovelli/IntroductionLQG.pdf
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
SPINFOAM AMPLITUDES
[Engle-Pereira-Livine-Rovelli, Freidel-Krasnov ’08]

Probability amplitude P ( ) = | W | ⇥|2


Amplitude associated to a state of a boundary of a 4d region

Superposition principle

Locality: vertex amplitude • •


Lorentz covariance

Unitary irreducible representations

Simplicity constraint

Classical limit: GR

www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~rovelli/IntroductionLQG.pdf
Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto
GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FINITENESS / DISCRETENESS QUANTUM MECHANICS


 


RELATIONALISM GENERAL RELATIVITY

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FINITENESS / DISCRETENESS QUANTUM MECHANICS


 


RELATIONALISM GENERAL RELATIVITY

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FINITENESS / DISCRETENESS QUANTUM MECHANICS


 


RELATIONALISM GENERAL RELATIVITY

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FINITENESS / DISCRETENESS QUANTUM MECHANICS


 


RELATIONALISM GENERAL RELATIVITY

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FINITENESS / DISCRETENESS QUANTUM MECHANICS


 


RELATIONALISM GENERAL RELATIVITY

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


relational
Quantum Mechanics
DISCRETENESS AND FINITENESS

DISCRETENESS

Planck constant = minimal amount of information

INFORMATION POSTULATES OF RELATIONAL QUANTUM MECHANICS


Information in any finite region of the phase space of any system is finite.
It is always possible to acquire new information about a system.

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


RELATIONAL STRUCTURE OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

Almost all the interpretations of quantum mechanics


two systems: the observed system and the system that observes
for instance:
 Copenhagen: there is always the measurement apparatus

 Many-world: what is observed is not the absolute value of a quantity 


 but the value in the "branch" where is the observer.

RELATIONAL QUANTUM MECHANICS


Text moves from this fact: [Rovelli ‘96]

the values of variables in the MQ are always relational

MQ: distinct observers may give different accounts of the same sequence of events
States: All quantum states are relative states [à la Everett]
States refer to systems in relation to other systems [à la Galilei]
quantum state = way of coding the result of past interactions
knowledge of past interactions predictions about outcome of future interactions

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


RELATIONAL ONTOLOGY

(H,A,W)
(H, A, W) DEFINE THE QUANTUM THEORY

Self adjoint operators on the Hilbert space have the role of describing facts.

We can compute the probability distribution of other facts happening.

FACT HAVE ONTOLOGICAL STATUS, NOT THE STATES



Quantum state in(H,represents
A, W) the (relevant) information about past facts.

Each measurement brings novel information and makes past facts irrelevant.

SAME ONTOLOGY AS CLASSICAL MECHANICS



Elements of reality ( facts ): a particle is there, a field has a certain value …

BUT WEAKER!
1.Facts are sparse: the particle only exists in interactions, not in between.
2.A fact is not an absolute fact, but only a fact relative to a physical system.

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


BOUNDARY FORMALISM

QUANTUM MECHANICS 
 GENERAL RELATIVITY



Process ← Locality → Spacetime region
State Boundary, space region

Spacetime is a process, a state is what happens at its boundary.

Boundary state = in ⌦ out Boundary

Amplitude of the process A = W( ) Spacetime region

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto


SUBSTANTIVAL & RELATIONAL SPACETIME

SUBSTANTIVALISM
 RELATIONALISM

Leucippus, Democritus, ... → Newton, ... Aristoteles, Platos, ... → Descarts, Leibniz, ...

Spacetime is the gravitational field, that exists even without the presences of bodies
Each field has quantum properties, and manifests itself trough relational events

⟹ Loop Quantum Gravity

Loop Quantum Gravity Francesca Vidotto

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