Indirect Probe of Quantum Gravity using Molecular Wave-packets

Abstract

The most obvious obstacle behind a direct test of Quantum Gravity (QG) is its energy scale ($10^{19}$ GeV), which remains well outside of any human made machine. The next best possible approach is to provide indirect tests on effective theories of QG which can be performed in a lower energy scale. This paper is aimed in this direction, and shows a promising path to test the existence of the fundamental minimal length scale of Nature by measuring the dispersion of free, large molecular wave-packets. The existence of the minimal length is believed to be the reason for a modified commutation relationship between the position and momentum operators and, in this paper, we show that such a modification of the commutator has a profound effect on the dispersion rate of free wave-packets, and precise measurement on the broadening times of large molecular wave-packets (such as $C_{60}$, $C_{176}$ and large organic molecules) provide a promising path for an indirect test of quantum gravity, in a laboratory setting.

13 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Class. Quant. Grav

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• On Quantum Gravity Tests with Composite Particles
• Modified commutators are not sufficient to determine a quantum gravity minimal length scale
• A Subtle Aspect of Minimal Lengths in the Generalized Uncertainty Principle
• Reconciling a quantum gravity minimal length with lack of photon dispersion
• A novel mechanism for probing the Planck scale
• Minimal Length, Nuclear Matter, and Neutron Stars
• Improved constraints on minimum length models with a macroscopic low loss phonon cavity
• A novel mechanism for probing the Planck scale with wavepackets following general distributions
• Probing the interior of the Schwarzschild black hole using congruences: LQG vs. GUP