Alternative quantization of the Hamiltonian in loop quantum cosmology

Since there are quantization ambiguities in constructing the Hamiltonian constraint operator in isotropic loop quantum cosmology, it is crucial to check whether the key features of loop quantum cosmology are robust against the ambiguities. In this Letter, we quantize the Lorentz term of the gravitational Hamiltonian constraint in the spatially flat FRW model by two approaches different from that of the Euclidean term. One of the approaches is very similar to the treatment of the Lorentz part of Hamiltonian in loop quantum gravity and hence inherits more features from the full theory. Two symmetric Hamiltonian constraint operators are constructed respectively in the improved scheme. Both of them are shown to have the correct classical limit by the semiclassical analysis. In the loop quantum cosmological model with a massless scalar field, the effective Hamiltonians and Friedmann equations are derived. It turns out that the classical big bang is again replaced by a quantum bounce in both cases. Moreover, there are still great possibilities for the expanding universe to recollapse due to the quantum gravity effect.     

Dynamics of k-essence in loop quantum cosmology

In this paper,we study the dynamics of k-essence in loop quantum cosmology(LQC).The study indicates that the loop quantum gravity(LQG)effect plays a key role only in the early epoch of the universe and is diluted in the later stages.The fixed points in LQC are basically consistent with those in standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker(FRW)cosmology.For most of the attractor solutions,the stability conditions in L Q C are in agreement with those for the standard FRW universe.For some special fixed points,however,tighter constraints are imposed thanks to the LQG effect.     

Observational constraints on loop quantum cosmology

In the inflationary scenario of loop quantum cosmology in the presence of inverse-volume corrections, we give analytic formulas for the power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations convenient to compare with observations. Since inverse-volume corrections can provide strong contributions to the running spectral indices, inclusion of terms higher than the second-order runnings in the power spectra is crucially important. Using the recent data of cosmic microwave background and other cosmological experiments, we place bounds on the quantum corrections.     

Probability of inflation in loop quantum cosmology

Inflationary models of the early universe provide a natural mechanism for the formation of large scale structure. This success brings to forefront the question of naturalness: Does a sufficiently long slow roll inflation occur generically or does it require a careful fine tuning of initial parameters? In recent years there has been considerable controversy on this issue (Hollands and Wald in Gen Relativ Gravit, 34:2043, 2002; Kofman et al. in J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002); (Gibbons and Turok in Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008). In particular, for a quadratic potential, Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002) have argued that the probability of inflation with at least 65 e-foldings is close to one, while Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008) have argued that this probability is suppressed by a factor of ~10⁻⁸⁵. We first clarify that such dramatically different predictions can arise because the required measure on the space of solutions is intrinsically ambiguous in general relativity. We then show that this ambiguity can be naturally resolved in loop quantum cosmology (LQC) because the big bang is replaced by a big bounce and the bounce surface can be used to introduce the structure necessary to specify a satisfactory measure. The second goal of the paper is to present a detailed analysis of the inflationary dynamics of LQC using analytical and numerical methods. By combining this information with the measure on the space of solutions, we address a sharper question than those investigated in Kofman et al. (J High Energy Phys 10:057, 2002), Gibbons and Turok (Phys Rev D 77:063516, 2008), Ashtekar and Sloan (Phys Lett B 694:108, 2010): What is the probability of a sufficiently long slow roll inflation which is compatible with the seven year WMAP data? We show that the probability is very close to 1. The material is so organized that cosmologists who may be more interested in the inflationary dynamics in LQC than in the subtleties associated with measures can skip that material without loss of continuity.     

Absence of a singularity in loop quantum cosmology

It is shown that the cosmological singularity in isotropic minisuperspaces is naturally removed by quantum geometry. Already at the kinematical level, this is indicated by the fact that the inverse scale factor is represented by a bounded operator even though the classical quantity diverges at the initial singularity. The full demonstration comes from an analysis of quantum dynamics. Because of quantum geometry, the quantum evolution occurs in discrete time steps and does not break down when the volume becomes zero. Instead, space-time can be extended to a branch preceding the classical singularity independently of the matter coupled to the model. For large volume the correct semiclassical behavior is obtained.     

On the Duru-Kleinert path integral in quantum cosmology

We show that the Duru-Kleinert fixed energy amplitude leads to the path integral for the propagation amplitude in the closed FRW quantum cosmology with scale factor as one degree of freedom. Then, using the Duru-Kleinert equivalence of corresponding actions, we calculate the tunneling rate, with exact prefactor, through the dilute-instanton approximation to the first order in ħ.     

Genericness of inflation in isotropic loop quantum cosmology

Nonperturbative corrections from loop quantum cosmology (LQC) to the scalar matter sector are already known to imply inflation. We prove that the LQC modified scalar field generates exponential inflation in the small scale factor regime, for all positive definite potentials, independent of initial conditions and independent of ambiguity parameters. For positive semidefinite potentials it is always possible to choose, without fine-tuning, a value of one of the ambiguity parameters such that exponential inflation results, provided zeros of the potential are approached at most as a power law in the scale factor. In conjunction with the generic occurrence of bounce at small volumes, particle horizon is absent, thus eliminating the horizon problem of the standard big bang model.     

Observational constraints of modified Chaplygin gas in loop quantum cosmology

We explore the behavior of the holographic superconductors at zero temperature for a charged scalar field coupled to a Maxwell field in higher-dimensional AdS soliton spacetime via analytical way. In the probe limit, we obtain the critical chemical potentials increase linearly as a total dimension d grows up. We find that the critical exponent for condensation operator is obtained as 1/2 independently of d, and the charge density is linearly related to the chemical potential near the critical point. Furthermore, we consider a slightly generalized setup the Einstein–Power–Maxwell field theory, and find that the critical exponent for condensation operator is given as 1/(4?2n) in terms of a power parameter n of the Power–Maxwell field, and the charge density is proportional to the chemical potential to the power of 1/(2?n).     

Absence of preclassical solutions in Bianchi I loop quantum cosmology

Loop quantum cosmology, the symmetry reduction of quantum geometry for the study of various cosmological situations, leads to a difference equation for its quantum evolution equation. To ensure that solutions of this equation act in the expected classical manner far from singularities, additional restrictions are imposed on the solution. In this Letter, we consider the Bianchi I model, both the vacuum case and the addition of a cosmological constant, and show using generating function techniques that only the zero solution satisfies these constraints. This implies either that there are technical difficulties with the current method of quantizing the evolution equation, or else loop quantum gravity imposes strong restrictions on the physically allowed solutions.     

Hamiltonian cosmology of bigravity

This article is written as a review of the Hamiltonian formalism for the bigravity with de Rham–Gabadadze–Tolley (dRGT) potential, and also of applications of this formalism to the derivation of the background cosmological equations. It is demonstrated that the cosmological scenarios are close to the standard ΛCDM model, but they also uncover the dynamical behavior of the cosmological term. This term arises in bigravity regardless on the choice of the dRGT potential parameters, and its scale is given by the graviton mass. Various matter couplings are considered.     

Path integral approach to quantum diffusion in metals

A general formalism for a quantum particle moving in an environment based on the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is presented. The environment can be the valence electron gas of a metal or the phonons of the host in which the particle moves, or both. The advantage of this approach is that it gives a direct space-time picture of the motion. Integrating out the coordinates of the environment an effective action for the particle is obtained. It consist of two parts. An adiabatic term, that is local in time (and as such describable as a potential), describing the influence of the fully relaxed environment on the particle, and a term that accounts for the dynamical part of the response of the environment due to the motion of the particle. As an example I have considered a particle moving in a tight binding band with an electron gas environment. Three energy scales play a role here. They are the bare hopping amplitude, the temperature and the inverse tunneling time (i.e. the time it takes the particle to tunnel from one site to the next). Note that the Fermi energy drops out of the problem. I find, as did Kondo in his recent theory, a decreasing diffusion constant as a function of temperature.     

An effective Hamiltonian approach to quantum random walk

In this article we present an effective Hamiltonian approach for discrete time quantum random walk. A form of the Hamiltonian for one-dimensional quantum walk has been prescribed, utilizing the fact that Hamiltonians are generators of time translations. Then an attempt has been made to generalize the techniques to higher dimensions. We find that the Hamiltonian can be written as the sum of a Weyl Hamiltonian and a Dirac comb potential. The time evolution operator obtained from this prescribed Hamiltonian is in complete agreement with that of the standard approach. But in higher dimension we find that the time evolution operator is additive, instead of being multiplicative (see Chandrashekar, Sci. Rep. 3, 2829 (18)). We showed that in the case of two-step walk, the time evolution operator effectively can have multiplicative form. In the case of a square lattice, quantum walk has been studied computationally for different coins and the results for both the additive and the multiplicative approaches have been compared. Using the graphene Hamiltonian, the walk has been studied on a graphene lattice and we conclude the preference of additive approach over the multiplicative one.     

A phenomenology analysis of the tachyon warm inflation in loop quantum cosmology

We investigate the warm inflation condition in loop quantum cosmology. In our consideration, the system is described by a tachyon field interacted with radiation. The exponential potential function, V(?)=V₀e−α?$V(?)=V_0{e}^{-\alpha ?}$, with the same order parameters V₀$V_0$ and α, is taken as an example of this tachyon warm inflation model. We find that, for the strong dissipative regime, the total number of e-folds is less than the one in the classical scenario, and for the weak dissipative regime, the beginning time of the warm inflation will be later than the tachyon (cool) inflation.     

Path integral approach to multidimensional quantum tunnelling

Path integral formulation of the coupled channel problem in the case of multidimensional quantum tunneling is presented and two-time influence functionals are introduced. The two-time influence functionals are calculated explicitly for the three simplest cases: Harmonic oscillators linearly or quadratically coupled to the translational motion and a system with finite number of equidistant energy levels linearly coupled to the translational motion. The effects of these couplings on the transmission probability are studied for two limiting cases, adiabatic case and when the internal system has a degenerate energy spectrum. The condition for the transmission probability to show a resonant structure is discussed and exemplified. Finally, the properties of the dissipation factor in the adiabatic limit and its correlation with the friction coefficient in the classically accessible region are studied.     

Notes on dark energy interacting with dark matter and unparticle in loop quantum cosmology

We investigate the behavior of dark energy interacting with dark matter and unparticle in the framework of loop quantum cosmology. In four toy models, we study the interaction between the cosmic components by choosing different coupling functions representing the interaction. We found that there are only two attractor solutions namely dark energy dominated and dark matter dominated Universe. The other two models are unstable, as they predict either a dark energy filled Universe or one completely devoid of it.     

On the Green’s function and iterative solutions of loop quantum cosmology

Here we shall find the Green’s function of the difference equation of loop quantum cosmology. To illustrate how to use it, we shall obtain an iterative solution for closed model and evaluate its corresponding Bohmian trajectory.