Dr Congkao WenRoyal Society University Research Fellow | Lecturer in Theoretical PhysicsEmail: c.wen@qmul.ac.ukRoom Number: G. O. Jones Building, Room 123ProfileTeachingResearchPublicationsSupervisionProfileI joined the Centre for Centre for Theoretical Physics in 2018. Previously, I held research positions at Caltech, at University of Rome, Tor Vergata, and at CTP in QMUL. I recieved my PhD at Brown University, and I did my my undergraduate and graduate studies at Zhejiang University.TeachingI currently teach a postgraduate course `Introduction to strings and branes`. The course is a basic introduction to String theory and Branes. I also supervise undergraduate and master projects.ResearchResearch Interests:My recent research interest focuses on perturbative and non-perturbative aspects of quantum field theory, quantum gravity and string theory. One of my main areas of activity has been developing and exploiting modern powerful techniques of scattering amplitudes, which includes two main research directions: 1. new formulations of scattering amplitudes in terms of twistor theory and Grassmannian geometry; 2. applying modern techniques of scattering amplitudes to other research areas. Over the past few years, new twistor-like formulas have been discovered for scattering amplitudes in a wide range of interesting theories, including the world-volume theory of single probe brane in M-theory and string theory. These new mathematical formulas not only provide concrete formulas for the amplitudes in these theories, but also reveal new structures. This research direction is to discover such new formulations for more theories and explore the implications. My other major line of work is to study the applications of scattering amplitude techniques in other research areas. In particular, I am interested in understanding the symmetry constraints on effective actions in the language of scattering amplitudes. Scattering amplitudes provide extremely efficient ways of imposing the constraints, in the form of, for instance, soft theorems, unitarity and superamplitude consistency. Recently, I have also been interested in exploring deep connections between flat-space amplitudes and holographic correlation functions in AdS space. Holographic correlators resemble many properties of flat-space scattering amplitudes, especially when formulated in Mellin space. This allows us to apply "amplitude-inspired methods" to study these correlators at the level of supergravity limit and beyond. Examples of research funding:Grants held at QMUL: Royal Society University Research Fellowship, 2018 - 2022 (£430,693) Royal Society Grant supporting a PhD Studentship, 2018 - 2022 (£92,148) Royal Society Grant supporting a PhD Studentship, 2022-2024 (£52,218) Royal Society University Research Fellowship Renewals, 2023- 2025 (£356,623) Royal Society Grant supporting a postdoc, 2023-2025 (£240,000)PublicationsMy list of publications: Complete list of publications on INSPIRE-HEP. Brandhuber A, Brown GR, Chen G et al. (2022). Amplitudes, Hopf algebras and the colour-kinematics duality. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep12(2022)101 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/83931 Travaglini G, Brandhuber A, Dorey P et al. (2022). The SAGEX review on scattering amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1088/1751-8121/ac8380 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/83486 Dorigoni D, Green MB, Wen C (2022). Chapter 10: Selected topics on modular covariance of type IIB string amplitudes and their N=4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills duals. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1088/1751-8121/ac9263 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/83493 Dorigoni D, Green M, Wen C (2022). Exact results for duality-covariant integrated correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM with general classical gauge groups. nameOfConference DOI: 10.21468/scipostphys.13.4.092 QMRO: qmroHref Brandhuber A, Brown GR, Chen G et al. (2022). Amplitudes, Hopf algebras and the colour-kinematics duality. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2208.05886 QMRO: qmroHref Wen C, Zhang S-Q (2022). Integrated correlators in N = 4 super Yang-Mills and periods. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep05(2022)126 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/79129 Brandhuber A, Chen G, Johansson H et al. (2022). Kinematic Hopf Algebra for Bern-Carrasco-Johansson Numerators in Heavy-Mass Effective Field Theory and Yang-Mills Theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.121601 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/78378 Huang YT, Kojima R, Wen C et al. (2022). The orthogonal momentum amplituhedron and ABJM amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP01(2022)141 QMRO: qmroHref Brandhuber A, Chen G, Johansson H et al. (2021). Kinematic Hopf Algebra for BCJ Numerators in Heavy-Mass Effective Field Theory and Yang-Mills Theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2111.15649 QMRO: qmroHref Dorigoni D, Green MB, Wen C (2021). Exact expressions for n-point maximal U(1)Y-violating integrated correlators in SU(N) N = 4 SYM. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep11(2021)132 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/76224 Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G et al. (2021). Classical gravitational scattering from a gauge-invariant double copy. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP10(2021)118 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/75160 Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G et al. (2021). Classical gravitational scattering from a gauge-invariant double copy. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2108.04216 QMRO: qmroHref Wen C, Zhang SQ (2021). Notes on gravity multiplet correlators in AdS 3 × S 3. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2021)125 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/73371 Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G et al. (2021). A new gauge-invariant double copy for heavy-mass effective theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep07(2021)047 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/73369 Dorigoni D, Green MB, Wen C (2021). Exact properties of an integrated correlator in N = 4 SU(N) SYM. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP05(2021)089 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/72566 Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G et al. (2021). A new gauge-invariant double copy for heavy-mass effective theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2104.11206 QMRO: qmroHref Dorigoni D, Green MB, Wen C (2021). Novel Representation of an Integrated Correlator in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.161601 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/72565 Chester SM, Green MB, Pufu SS et al. (2021). New modular invariants in N = 4 Super-Yang-Mills theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP04(2021)212 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/72258 Green MB, Wen C (2021). Maximal U(1)Y-violating n-point correlators in N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep02(2021)042 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/70499 Chester SM, Green MB, Pufu SS et al. (2020). Modular invariance in superstring theory from N = 4 super-Yang-Mills. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2020)016 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/72262 Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A et al. (2020). The CFT6 origin of all tree-level 4-point correlators in AdS3 x S3. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-8300-4 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/66753 Wen C, Zhang SQ (2020). D3-brane loop amplitudes from M5-brane tree amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2020)098 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/75165 Green MB, Wen C (2019). Superstring amplitudes, unitarily, and Hankel determinants of multiple zeta values. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep11(2019)079 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/61859 Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A et al. (2019). Holographic correlators in AdS3 without Witten diagrams. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep09(2019)030 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/59720 Schwarz JH, Wen C (2019). Unified formalism for 6D superamplitudes based on a symplectic Grassmannian. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep08(2019)125 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/59518 Chen W-M, Huang Y-T, Noumi T et al. (2019). Unitarity bounds on charged/neutral state mass ratios. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.100.025016 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/59065 Green MB, Wen C (2019). Modular forms and SL(2, ℤ)-covariance of type IIB superstring theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP06(2019)087 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/58557 WEN C, Heydeman M, Schwarz JH et al. (2019). All Tree Amplitudes of 6D (2,0) Supergravity: Interacting Tensor Multiplets and the K3 Moduli Space. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.111604 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/56528 WEN C, Giusto S, RUSSO R (2019). Holographic correlators in AdS3. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP03(2019)096 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/56529 WEN C, Huang Y-T, Kuo C-K (2018). Dualities for Ising networks. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.251604 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/54102 WEN C, Cachazo F, Guevara A et al. (2018). The S Matrix of 6D Super Yang-Mills and Maximal Supergravity from Rational Maps. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP09(2018)125 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/48444 Cheung C, Kampf K, Novotny J et al. (2018). Vector Effective Field Theories from Soft Limits. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.261602 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/48445 Cheung C, Remmen GN, Shen C-H et al. (2018). Pions as gluons in higher dimensions. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP04(2018)129 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/47927 Cheung C, Shen C-H, Wen C (2019). Unifying relations for scattering amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep02(2018)095 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/59519 WEN C, Schwarz J, Heydeman M (2017). M5-brane and D-brane scattering amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP12(2017)003 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/36714 Gliozzi F, Guerrieri AL, Petkou AC et al. (2017). Generalized Wilson-Fisher Critical Points from the Conformal Operator Product Expansion. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.061601 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/39591 Nandan D, Plefka J, Schlotterer O et al. (2016). Einstein-Yang-Mills from pure Yang-Mills amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP10(2016)070 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/39587 Bianchi M, He S, Huang YT et al. (2015). More on soft theorems: Trees, loops, and strings. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.92.065022 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/36713 Volovich A, Wen C, Zlotnikov M (2015). Double soft theorems in gauge and string theories. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2015)095 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/39590 Chen W-M, Huang Y-T, Wen C (2015). New Fermionic Soft Theorems for Supergravity Amplitudes. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.021603 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/39665 Franco S, Galloni D, Penante B et al. (2015). Non-planar on-shell diagrams. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep06(2015)199 QMRO: qmroHref He S, Huang YT, Wen C (2014). Loop corrections to soft theorems in gauge theories and gravity. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP12(2014)115 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/36715 Huang YT, Wen C, Xie D (2014). The positive orthogonal Grassmannian and loop amplitudes of ABJM. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1088/1751-8113/47/47/474008 QMRO: qmroHref Garner D, Ramgoolam S, Wen C (publicationYear). Thresholds of Large N Factorization in CFT4 : Exploring bulk spacetime in AdS5. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP11(2014)076 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/12419 Brandhuber A, Penante B, Travaglini G et al. (2014). The last of the simple remainders. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP08(2014)100 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/7646 Brandhuber A, Penante B, Travaglini G et al. (2014). The last of the simple remainders. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1406.1443 QMRO: qmroHref Bianchi M, Brandhuber A, Travaglini G et al. (2014). Simplifying instanton corrections to N=4 SYM correlators. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP04(2014)101 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/7648 Penante B, Spence B, Travaglini G et al. (2014). On super form factors of half-BPS operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP04(2014)083 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/7643 Garner D, Ramgoolam S, Wen C (2014). Thresholds of Large N Factorization in CFT4 : Exploring bulk spacetime in AdS5. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1403.5281 QMRO: qmroHref Huang YT, Wen C (2014). ABJM amplitudes and the positive orthogonal Grassmannian. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP02(2014)104 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/39664 Penante B, Spence B, Travaglini G et al. (2014). On super form factors of half-BPS operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1402.1300 QMRO: qmroHref Bianchi M, Brandhuber A, Travaglini G et al. (2013). Simplifying instanton corrections to N=4 SYM correlators. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1312.3916 QMRO: qmroHref de Mello Koch R, Ramgoolam S, Wen C (2013). On the refined counting of graphs on surfaces. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2013.01.023 QMRO: qmroHref Brandhuber A, Travaglini G, Wen C (2012). All one-loop amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP10(2012)145 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/4120 Koch RDM, Ramgoolam S, Wen C (2012). On the refined counting of graphs on surfaces. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1209.0334 QMRO: qmroHref Brandhuber A, Travaglini G, Wen C (2012). All one-loop amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1207.6908 QMRO: qmroHref Brandhuber A, Travaglini G, Wen C (2012). A note on amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/JHEP07(2012)160 QMRO: https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/3764 Brandhuber A, Travaglini G, Wen C (2012). A note on amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory. nameOfConference DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1205.6705 QMRO: qmroHref Nandan D, Volovich A, Wen C (2012). On Feynman rules for Mellin amplitudes in AdS/CFT. nameOfConference DOI: 10.1007/jhep05(2012)129 QMRO: qmroHref SupervisionScattering amplitudes: New formulations and Applications Scattering amplitudes are one of the most fundamental observables in quantum field theory and string theory. In recent years, hidden structures of scattering amplitudes have been uncovered, and extremely powerful computational methods have been developed. These developments have dramatically improved our understanding of quantum field theory and string theory. This project will focus on the most recent and remarkable developments in this rapidly evolving research field. In particular, the research projects include new formulations of scattering amplitudes in terms of twistor theory, Grassmannian and positive geometry, as well as the applications of scattering amplitudes to other research areas ranging from constraining effective field theories to holographic correlation functions in the context of AdS/CFT duality. Requirements: knowledge of Quantum Field Theory, String Theory and Supersymmetry at the level of a Master course.