Wormhole Geometries in Extended Symmetric Teleparallel Gravity with $f(Q, T) = αQ + βT + γT^2$

Abstract

In this study, we study static and spherically-symmetric wormhole configurations within the recently proposed class of extended symmetric teleparallel gravities characterised by the functional form $f(Q,T)=αQ+βT+γT^{2}$, where $Q$ is the non-metricity scalar, $T$ is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor, and ($α,β,γ$) are constant coupling parameters. By varying the action with respect to the metric, we derive the modified field equations and cast them in an effective Einstein-like form containing additional geometric contributions that depend on $Q$ and $T$. We conclude that the $f(Q,T)=αQ+βT+γT^{2}$ framework offers a viable arena for constructing physically realistic wormholes without invoking severe energy condition violations, opening new pathways for connecting modified gravity phenomenology with astrophysical signatures of non-trivial spacetime topologies.