Quantum-gravity effects on a Higgs-Yukawa model

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether a simplified Higgs-Yukawa model can be compatible with asymptotically safe quantum gravity, revealing an irrelevant Yukawa coupling at a joint fixed point and gravity-induced matter interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of a joint gravity-matter fixed point with an irrelevant Yukawa coupling in a toy model of the Standard Model sector.

Findings

Yukawa coupling is irrelevant at the fixed point

Gravity induces non-vanishing scalar-fermion couplings

Model supports compatibility with asymptotically safe quantum gravity

Abstract

A phenomenologically viable theory of quantum gravity must accommodate all observed matter degrees of freedom and their properties. Here, we explore whether a toy model of the Higgs-Yukawa sector of the Standard Model is compatible with asymptotically safe quantum gravity. We discuss the phenomenological implications of our result in the context of the Standard Model. We analyze the quantum scaling dimension of the system, and find an irrelevant Yukawa coupling at a joint gravity-matter fixed point. Further, we explore the impact of gravity-induced couplings between scalars and fermions, which are non-vanishing in asymptotically safe gravity.