Gravitational corrections to two-loop beta function in quantum electrodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how gravitational effects influence the two-loop beta function in quantum electrodynamics using effective field theory, finding that gravity increases the charge's growth rate without changing its fundamental running behavior.

Contribution

It provides the first calculation of gravitational corrections to the two-loop beta function in QED across different gauges, showing an enhancement in charge running.

Findings

Gravitational corrections do not change the qualitative running behavior of the electric charge.

Gravity contributes positively to the beta function, accelerating charge growth.

Results are gauge-independent across the considered gravitational gauges.

Abstract

In this work, we use the framework of effective field theory to couple Einstein's gravity to quantum electrodynamics (QED) and determine the gravitational corrections to the two-loop beta function of the electric charge in arbitrary electrodynamics (Lorentz-like) and arbitrary (de Donder like) gravitational gauges. Our results indicate that gravitational corrections do not alter the running behavior of the electric charge; on the contrary, we observe that it gives a positive contribution to the beta function, making the electric charge grow even faster.