Quantum Time Drift from Vacuum Fluctuations with Curvature Damping: A Focused Alternative to Dark Energy and a Resolution of the Hubble Tension

This paper investigates the role of quantum-driven time drift in flat space as a potential explanation for the accelerated expansion of the universe and the Hubble constant tension. Building on our earlier work, where we proposed a broad framework connecting quantum fluctuations of time to both dark energy and dark matter phenomena, the present study takes a narrower focus. We concentrate specifically on the cosmological scale, developing the mechanism in detail and analyzing its implications for expansion history. By isolating dark energy and the Hubble tension as test cases, this work provides a clearer comparison with the λCDM model and MOND, highlighting how a reinterpretation of quantum effects on timekeeping may reproduce observed large-scale phenomena without invoking new fundamental particles. The paper outlines the theoretical mechanism, derives key predictions, and identifies observational datasets where this framework can be tested. This targeted contribution is part of an ongoing research program exploring how quantum fluctuations and curvature effects may together shape cosmological dynamics.