Quantum-relativity: How frames of reference are the key to gravity

The topic of quantum reference frames (QRFs) has attracted a great deal of attention in the recent literature. Potentially, the correct description of such frames is important for both the technological applications of quantum mechanics and for its foundations, including the search for a future theory of quantum gravity. In this letter, we point out potential inconsistencies in the mainstream approach to this subject and propose an alternative definition that avoids these pro...

This paper presents a research program aimed at establishing relational foundations for relativistic quantum physics. Although the formalism is still under development, we believe it has matured enough to be shared with the broader scientific community. Our approach seeks to integrate Quantum Field Theory on curved backgrounds and scenarios with indefinite causality. Building on concepts from the operational approach to Quantum Reference Frames, we extend these ideas signific...

We propose the idea that not all energy is a source of gravity. We discuss the role of energy in the theory of gravitation and provide a formulation of gravity which takes into account the quantum nature of the source. We show that gravity depends dramatically on the entanglement present between the constituents of the Universe. Applications of the theory and open questions are also discussed.

This thesis is a compilation of research in relativistic quantum information theory, and research in quantum reference frames. The research in the former category provides a fundamental construction of quantum information theory of localised qubits in curved spacetimes. For example, this concerns quantum experiments on free-space photons and electrons in the vicinity of the Earth. From field theory a description of localised qubits that traverse classical trajectories in curv...

Treating reference frames fundamentally as quantum systems is inevitable in quantum gravity and also in quantum foundations once considering laboratories as physical systems. Both fields thereby face the question of how to describe physics relative to quantum reference systems and how the descriptions relative to different such choices are related. Here, we exploit a fruitful interplay of ideas from both fields to begin developing a unifying approach to transformations among ...

The problem of constructing a quantum theory of gravity is considered from a novel viewpoint. It is argued that any consistent theory of gravity should incorporate a relational character between the matter constituents of the theory. In particular, the traditional approach of quantizing a space-time metric is criticized and two possible avenues for constructing a satisfactory theory are put forward.

From the principle that there is no absolute description of a physical state, we advance the approach according to which one should be able to describe the physics from the perspective of a quantum particle. The kinematics seen from this frame of reference is shown to be rather unconventional. In particular, we discuss several subtleties emerging in the relative formulation of central notions such as vector states, the classical limit, entanglement, uncertainty relations, and...

Although it's widely believed that gravity should have a quantum nature like every other force, the conceptual obstacles to constructing a quantum theory of gravity compel us to explore other perspectives. Gravity is not like any other force. It alone defines a universal space-time geometry, upon which quantum fields evolve. We feel gravity because matter causes space-time to bend. Time flows at unequal rates at different locations. The rate at which time flows, and the causa...

General relativity and quantum mechanics are perhaps the two most successful theories of the XXth century. Despite their impressive accurate predictions, they are both valid at their own scales and do not seem to be expressible using the same framework. It is commonly accepted that in order to create a consistent theory of both quantum mechanics and gravity, it is required to quantize the gravitational field. In the present paper, another path is taken on which the Einstein f...

This is a contribution to a book on quantum gravity and philosophy. I discuss nature and origin of the problem of quantum gravity. I examine the knowledge that may guide us in addressing this problem, and the reliability of such knowledge. In particular, I discuss the subtle modification of the notions of space and time engendered by general relativity, and how these might merge into quantum theory. I also present some reflections on methodological questions, and on some gene...