Covariant Loop Quantum Gravity, Low Energy Perturbation Theory, and Einstein Gravity with High Curvature UV Corrections

Abstract: A low-energy perturbation theory is developed from the nonperturbative framework of covariant Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) by employing the background field method. The resulting perturbation theory is a 2-parameter expansion in the semiclassical and low-energy regime. The two expansion parameters are the large spin and small curvature. The leading order effective action coincides with the Einstein-Hilbert action. The subleading corrections organized by the two expansion parameters give the modifications of Einstein gravity in quantum and high-energy regime from LQG. The perturbation theory developed here shows for the first time that covariant LQG produces the high curvature corrections to Einstein gravity. This result means that LQG is not a naive quantization of Einstein gravity, but rather provides the UV modification. The result of the paper may be viewed as the first step toward understanding the UV completeness of LQG.