While many aspects of general relativity have been tested, and general principles of quantum dynamics demand its quantization, there is no direct evidence for that. It has been argued that development of detectors sensitive to individual gravitons is unlikely, and perhaps impossible. We argue here, however, that measurement of polarization of the cosmic microwave background due to a long wavelength stochastic background of gravitational waves from inflation in the early Universe would firmly establish the quantization of gravity.

• Received 4 October 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.047501