Inflation with the Starobinsky potential in Loop Quantum Cosmology
  A self-consistent pre-inflationary extension of the inflationary scenario
with the Starobinsky potential, favored by Planck data, is studied using
techniques from loop quantum cosmology (LQC). The results are compared with the
quadratic potential previously studied. Planck scale completion of the
inflationary paradigm and observable signatures of LQC are found to be robust
under the change of the inflaton potential. The entire evolution, from the
quantum bounce all the way to the end of inflation, is compatible with
observations. Occurrence of desired slow-roll phase is almost inevitable and
natural initial conditions exist for both the background and perturbations for
which the resulting power spectrum agrees with recent observations. There exist
initial data for which the quantum gravitational corrections to the power
spectrum are potentially observable.
