Geometric realization of stress-tensor deformed field theory
arXiv:2508.15461 · doi:10.1103/ch45-fbmp
Abstract
We present a semiclassical framework in which stress-tensor deformations of a quantum field theory (QFT) reorganize into a gravitational action evaluated at a metric saddle. The deformed partition function can be written as a gravitational path integral evaluated at the saddle, establishing a direct link between stress-tensor flows and gravitational dynamics. Two complementary routes arise: (i) from gravitational actions such as Einstein and Palatini, which map to stress-tensor deformations of a seed QFT; and (ii) from deformed QFTs such as generalized Nambu-Goto and -like deformed models, which reconstruct the corresponding gravitational actions. Finally, in a free, massive scalar theory, we show that the one-loop effective action of the nonlocal deformation contains a local curvature term; its coefficient defines an induced Newton constant at a chosen renormalization scale, thereby demonstrating a bidirectional link between stress-tensor flows and classical gravity.
18 pages, no figures, Substantial progress toward an exact semiclassical realization of gravity via nonlocal stress-tensor deformations