Quantum corrected mode function and power spectrum for a scalar field during inflation

Abstract

We compute the one- and two-loop corrected mode function of a massless minimally coupled scalar endowed with a quartic self-interaction in the locally de Sitter background of an inflating universe for a state which is released in Bunch-Davies vacuum at time $t=0$. We then employ it to correct the scalar's tree-order scale invariant power spectrum $\Delta^2_\varphi$. The corrections are secular, and have scale dependent part that can be expanded in even powers of $k/(Ha)$, where $k$ is the comoving wave number, $H$ is the expansion rate and $a$ is the cosmic scale factor. At one-loop, the scale invariant shift in the power spectrum grows as $(Ht)^2$ in leading order. The $k$-dependent shifts, however, are constants for each mode, in the late time limit. At two-loop order, on the other hand, the scale invariant shift grows as $(Ht)^4$ whereas the $k$-dependent shifts grow as $(Ht)^2$, in leading order. We finally calculate the scalar's spectral index $n_\varphi$ and the running of the spectral index $\alpha_\varphi$. They imply that the spectrum is slightly red-tilted; hence, the amplitudes of fluctuations grow slightly towards the larger scales.