A Modified Kaluza-Klein Framework for Quantum Gravity via Imaginary Time as a Fifth Dimension

The unification of general relativity (GR) and quantum mechanics (QM) remains the preeminent challenge of theoretical physics. We propose a novel geometric framework by promoting imaginary time to a physical fifth dimension within a modified Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory. By constructing a pseudo-complexified 5D spacetime metric, we incorporate the electromagnetic four-potential and a scalar field , effectively encoding quantum evolution as 5D geodesic flow. Dimensional reduction through integration over the imaginary time coordinate transforms the 5D vacuum Einstein equations into a coupled 4D Einstein-Maxwell-Klein-Gordon system. We demonstrate that this geometric structure generates measurable physical effects, specifically carrier frequency shifts in electromagnetic pulses proportional to the imaginary part of the complex time delay. These predictions are supported by recent experimental data from microwave ring graphs, providing a testable pathway toward a geometric theory of quantum gravity.