Quantum Effects in Gravity Waves

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantum mechanical interactions between gravitational waves and electromagnetic fields, highlighting quantum-induced effects like squeezing and revivals, which could reveal gravity's quantum nature.

Contribution

It presents a quantum framework for gravitational wave interactions, including the effects of quantum fluctuations and the potential to detect quantum gravity signatures.

Findings

Quantum fluctuations induce optical squeezing.

Revival phenomena are purely quantum effects.

Squeezed gravitational waves could evidence quantum gravity.

Abstract

We discuss the quantum mechanical description of a gravitational wave interacting with a cavity electromagnetic field. Quantum fluctuations of the gravitational vacuum induce squeezing in the optical field. Moreover, this squeezing experiences revivals, a purely quantum effect. Measuring these gravitationally induced revivals, although out of reach from experiments, would provide evidence on the quantum nature of gravity. We also discuss the quantum mechanical treatment of the interaction between coherent and squeezed gravitational wave states and a gravity wave detector. In the case of a coherent gravitational wave, we reproduce the result from the classical theory with a quantum mechanical calculation. The case of a squeezed gravity wave is not calculable within the classical theory, and could provide evidence on the quantum nature of gravity.