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  • Open Access

Euclidean correlation functions in quantum gravity

Jack Laiho1,* and Kenny Ratliff2,†

  • *Contact author: jwlaiho@syr.edu
  • †Contact author: kratliff@fastmail.com
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Phys. Rev. D 113, 106032 – Published 28 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gqms-364h

Abstract

We calculate Euclidean correlation functions through next-to-leading order in the low-energy effective theory of gravity. We focus on correlation functions of curvature and volume operators, calculating these functions through one-loop order. We show that quantum fluctuations of the background spacetime must be taken into account in order to obtain gauge invariant expressions, and we point out a subtlety associated with the analytic continuation of the conformal mode. Our final expressions for the correlation functions involve only Newton’s constant and the source-sink separation, and they are a universal prediction of the low-energy effective theory. Thus, they serve as a useful point of comparison for nonperturbative lattice formulations of gravity.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 106032– Published 28 May, 2026
  • Received 18 December 2025
  • Accepted 16 April 2026
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