Dr Congkao Wen

Congkao Wen

Senior Lecturer

School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
www.qmul.ac.uk/spcs/staff/academics/profiles/cwen.html
Centre for Fundamental Physics

Research

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.

Publications

solid heart iconPublications of specific relevance to the Centre for Fundamental Physics

2024

Relevant PublicationElectromagnetic duality for line defect correlators in N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory
Dorigoni D, Duan Z, Pavarini DR, Wen C and Xie H
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2024 (11) 
13-11-2024
Relevant PublicationAll-loop Heavy-Heavy-Light-Light correlators in N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory
Brown A, Galvagno F and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2024 (10) 
24-10-2024
Relevant PublicationKinematic Hopf algebra and Bern-Carrasco-Johansson numerators at finite α′
Chen G, Rodina L and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 110 (4) 
15-08-2024
Relevant PublicationExact results for giant graviton four-point correlators
Brown A, Galvagno F and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2024 (7) 
05-07-2024
Relevant PublicationRelations between integrated correlators in N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
Alday LF, Chester SM, Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2024 (5) 
06-05-2024
Relevant PublicationIntegrated Correlators in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory beyond Localization
Brown A, Heslop P, Wen C and Xie H
Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 132 (10) 
07-03-2024
Relevant PublicationKinematic Hopf algebra for amplitudes from higher-derivative operators
Chen G, Rodina L and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2024 (2) 
14-02-2024

2023

Relevant PublicationGenerating functions and large-charge expansion of integrated correlators in ???? = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
Brown A, Wen C and Xie H
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2023 (7) 
14-07-2023
Relevant PublicationLaplace-difference equation for integrated correlators of operators with general charges in N = 4 SYM
Brown A, Wen C and Xie H
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2023 (6) 
13-06-2023
Relevant PublicationModular-invariant large-N completion of an integrated correlator in N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory
Dorigoni D, Green MB, Wen C and Xie H
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2023 (4) 
24-04-2023
Relevant PublicationKinematic Hopf algebra for amplitudes and form factors
Chen G, Lin G and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 107 (8) 
15-04-2023

2022

Relevant PublicationThe SAGEX review on scattering amplitudes
Travaglini G, Brandhuber A, Dorey P, McLoughlin T, Abreu S, Bern Z, Bjerrum-Bohr NEJ, Blümlein J, Britto R, Carrasco JJM, Chicherin D, Chiodaroli M, Damgaard PH, Del Duca V, Dixon LJ, Dorigoni D, Duhr C, Geyer Y, Green MB, Herrmann E, et al.
Journal of Physics a: Mathematical and Theoretical vol. 55 (44), 443001-443001. Editors: Travaglini G, Dorey P, Brandhuber A and McLoughlin T. 
19-12-2022
Relevant PublicationAmplitudes, Hopf algebras and the colour-kinematics duality
Brandhuber A, Brown GR, Chen G, Gowdy J, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2022 (12), 101-101.  
19-12-2022
Relevant PublicationChapter 10: Selected topics on modular covariance of type IIB string amplitudes and their N=4 supersymmetric Yang–Mills duals
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
Journal of Physics a: Mathematical and Theoretical vol. 55 (44), 443011-443011.  
30-11-2022
Relevant PublicationExact results for duality-covariant integrated correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM with general classical gauge groups
Dorigoni D, Green M and Wen C
Scipost Physics vol. 13 (4), 092-092.  
11-10-2022
Relevant PublicationExact results for duality-covariant integrated correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM with general classical gauge groups
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
 
15-06-2022
Relevant PublicationIntegrated correlators in N = 4 super Yang-Mills and periods
Wen C and Zhang S-Q
Journal of High Energy Physics, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (Sissa) vol. 2022 (5), 126-126.  
20-05-2022
Relevant PublicationExact results for duality-covariant integrated correlators in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM with general classical gauge groups
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
 
27-04-2022
Relevant PublicationKinematic Hopf Algebra for Bern-Carrasco-Johansson Numerators in Heavy-Mass Effective Field Theory and Yang-Mills Theory
Brandhuber A, Chen G, Johansson H, Travaglini G and Wen C
Physical Review Letters vol. 128 (12), 121601-121601.  
25-03-2022
Relevant PublicationThe orthogonal momentum amplituhedron and ABJM amplitudes
Huang YT, Kojima R, Wen C and Zhang SQ
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2022 (1) 
25-01-2022

2021

Relevant PublicationExact expressions for n-point maximal U(1)Y-violating integrated correlators in SU(N) N = 4 SYM
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (11), 132-132.  
18-11-2021
Relevant PublicationClassical gravitational scattering from a gauge-invariant double copy
Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (10) 
15-10-2021
Relevant PublicationNotes on gravity multiplet correlators in AdS 3× S 3
Wen C and Zhang SQ
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (7) 
19-07-2021
Relevant PublicationA new gauge-invariant double copy for heavy-mass effective theory
Brandhuber A, Chen G, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (7), 47-47.  
09-07-2021
Relevant PublicationExact properties of an integrated correlator in N = 4 SU(N) SYM
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (5) 
12-05-2021
Relevant PublicationNovel Representation of an Integrated Correlator in N=4 Supersymmetric Yang-Mills Theory
Dorigoni D, Green MB and Wen C
Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 126 (16) 
22-04-2021
Relevant PublicationNew modular invariants in N = 4 Super-Yang-Mills theory
Chester SM, Green MB, Pufu SS, Wang Y and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2021 (4) 
21-04-2021
Relevant PublicationMaximal U(1)Y-violating n-point correlators in N = 4 super-Yang-Mills theory
Green MB and Wen C
The Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Verlag (Germany) vol. 2021 (2), 42-42.  
04-02-2021

2020

Relevant PublicationModular invariance in superstring theory from N = 4 super-Yang-Mills
Chester SM, Green MB, Pufu SS, Wang Y and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2020 (11) 
06-11-2020
Relevant PublicationThe CFT6 origin of all tree-level 4-point correlators in AdS3 x S3
Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A and Wen C
European Physical Journal C vol. 80 (8) 
01-08-2020
Relevant PublicationD3-brane loop amplitudes from M5-brane tree amplitudes
Wen C and Zhang S-Q
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2020 (7) 
01-07-2020

2019

Relevant PublicationSuperstring amplitudes, unitarily, and Hankel determinants of multiple zeta values
Green MB and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 2019 (11) 
13-11-2019
Relevant PublicationHolographic correlators in AdS3 without Witten diagrams
Giusto S, Russo R, Tyukov A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 2019 (9) 
04-09-2019
Relevant PublicationUnified formalism for 6D superamplitudes based on a symplectic Grassmannian
Schwarz JH and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Science and Business Media Llc vol. 2019 (8) 
22-08-2019
Relevant PublicationUnitarity bounds on charged/neutral state mass ratios
Chen W-M, Huang Y-T, Noumi T and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 100 (2) 
26-07-2019
Relevant PublicationModular forms and SL(2, ℤ)-covariance of type IIB superstring theory
Green MB and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2019 (6) 
18-06-2019
Relevant PublicationAll Tree Amplitudes of 6D (2,0) Supergravity: Interacting Tensor Multiplets and the K3 Moduli Space
WEN C, Heydeman M, Schwarz JH and Zhang S-Q
Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society 
22-03-2019
Relevant PublicationHolographic correlators in AdS3
WEN C, Giusto S and RUSSO R
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Berlin Heidelberg 
18-03-2019

2018

Relevant PublicationDualities for Ising networks
WEN C, Huang Y-T and Kuo C-K
Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society vol. 121 (251604) 
21-12-2018
Relevant PublicationThe S Matrix of 6D Super Yang-Mills and Maximal Supergravity from Rational Maps
WEN C, Cachazo F, Guevara A, Heydeman M, Mizera S and Schwarz JH
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Verlag (Germany) 
20-09-2018
bullet iconVector Effective Field Theories from Soft Limits
Cheung C, Kampf K, Novotny J, Shen C-H, Trnka J and Wen C
Physical Review Letters vol. 120 (26) 
29-06-2018
bullet iconPions as gluons in higher dimensions
Cheung C, Remmen GN, Shen C-H and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2018 (4) 
24-04-2018
bullet iconUnifying relations for scattering amplitudes
Cheung C, Shen C-H and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2018 (2) 
15-02-2018
bullet iconTwo-point correlators in N = 2 gauge theories
Billò M, Fucito F, Lerda A, Morales JF, Stanev YS and Wen C
Nuclear Physics B, Elsevier vol. 926, 427-466.  
01-01-2018

2017

bullet iconM5-brane and D-brane scattering amplitudes
WEN C, Schwarz J and Heydeman M
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Verlag (Germany) 
01-12-2017
bullet iconOn the exactness of soft theorems
Guerrieri AL, Huang Y-T, Li Z and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2017 (12) 
01-12-2017
bullet iconInstanton corrections to the effective action of ???? = 4 SYM
Bianchi M, Jantzen RT, Ruffini R, Morales JF and Wen C
The Fourteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting., 4175-4181.  
16-11-2017
bullet iconA note on NMHV form factors from the Graßmannian and the twistor string
Meidinger D, Nandan D, Penante B and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2017 (9) 
01-09-2017
bullet iconThe analytic structure of conformal blocks and the generalized Wilson-Fisher fixed points
Gliozzi F, Guerrieri AL, Petkou AC and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2017 (4) 
01-04-2017
bullet iconGeneralized Wilson-Fisher Critical Points from the Conformal Operator Product Expansion
Gliozzi F, Guerrieri AL, Petkou AC and Wen C
Physical Review Letters vol. 118 (6) 
09-02-2017

2016

bullet iconEinstein-Yang-Mills from pure Yang-Mills amplitudes
Nandan D, Plefka J, Schlotterer O and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2016 (10) 
14-10-2016
bullet iconExploring soft constraints on effective actions
Bianchi M, Guerrieri AL, Huang Y-T, Lee C-J and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2016 (10) 
01-10-2016
bullet iconStratifying on-shell cluster varieties: the geometry of non-planar on-shell diagrams
Bourjaily JL, Franco S, Galloni D and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2016 (10) 
01-10-2016
bullet iconUniversality in string interactions
Huang Y-T, Schlotterer O and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2016 (9) 
01-09-2016
bullet iconThe free σCFTs
Guerrieri AL, Petkou AC and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2016 (9) 
01-09-2016
bullet iconRecursion relations from soft theorems
Luo H and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2016 (3) 
01-03-2016

2015

bullet iconSoft theorems from anomalous symmetries
Huang Y-T and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2015 (12), 1-31.  
01-12-2015
bullet iconInstanton corrections to the effective action of N=4 SYM
Bianchi M, Morales JF and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2015 (11) 
01-11-2015
bullet iconMore on soft theorems: Trees, loops, and strings
Bianchi M, He S, Huang Y-T and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 92 (6) 
15-09-2015
bullet iconExact coefficients for higher dimensional operators with sixteen supersymmetries
Chen W-M, Huang Y-T and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2015 (9) 
01-09-2015
bullet iconDouble soft theorems in gauge and string theories
Volovich A, Wen C and Zlotnikov M
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2015 (7) 
20-07-2015
bullet iconNew Fermionic Soft Theorems for Supergravity Amplitudes
Chen W-M, Huang Y-T and Wen C
Physical Review Letters vol. 115 (2) 
10-06-2015
bullet iconNon-planar on-shell diagrams
Franco S, Galloni D, Penante B and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2015 (6) 
01-06-2015
bullet iconFrom U(1) to E8: soft theorems in supergravity amplitudes
Chen W-M, Huang Y-T and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2015 (3) 
01-03-2015

2014

Relevant PublicationLoop corrections to soft theorems in gauge theories and gravity
He S, Huang YT and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2014 (12) 
16-12-2014
Relevant PublicationThresholds of Large N Factorization in CFT4 : Exploring bulk spacetime in AdS5
Garner D, Ramgoolam S and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer 
17-11-2014
Relevant PublicationThe positive orthogonal Grassmannian and loop amplitudes of ABJM
Huang Y-T, Wen C and Xie D
Journal of Physics a: Mathematical and Theoretical, Iop Publishing vol. 47 (47) 
11-11-2014
Relevant PublicationThe last of the simple remainders
Brandhuber A, Penante B, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics (8) 
18-08-2014
Relevant PublicationOn super form factors of half-BPS operators in N=4 super Yang-Mills
Penante B, Spence B, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics (4) 
11-04-2014
Relevant PublicationABJM amplitudes and the positive orthogonal Grassmannian
Huang YT and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2014 (2) 
25-02-2014
Relevant PublicationSimplifying instanton corrections to N=4 SYM correlators
Bianchi M, Brandhuber A, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics (4) 
01-01-2014

2013

Relevant PublicationOn the refined counting of graphs on surfaces
de Mello Koch R, Ramgoolam S and Wen C
Nuclear Physics B, Elsevier vol. 870 (3), 530-581.  
01-05-2013

2012

Relevant PublicationAll one-loop amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory
Brandhuber A, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2012 (10) 
01-10-2012
Relevant PublicationGenerating all tree amplitudes in by Inverse Soft Limit
Nandan D and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2012 (8) 
01-08-2012
Relevant PublicationA note on amplitudes in N=6 superconformal Chern-Simons theory
Brandhuber A, Travaglini G and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2012 (7) 
01-07-2012
Relevant PublicationOn Feynman rules for Mellin amplitudes in AdS/CFT
Nandan D, Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2012 (5) 
01-05-2012

2011

bullet iconNote on bonus relations for supergravity tree amplitudes
He S, Nandan D and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2011 (2) 
01-02-2011
bullet iconThe Grassmannian and the twistor string: connecting all trees in SYM
Bourjaily JL, Trnka J, Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2011 (1) 
01-01-2011

2010

bullet iconA grassmannian étude in NMHV minors
Nandan D, Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2010 (7) 
01-07-2010
bullet iconThe tree formula for MHV graviton amplitudes
Nguyen D, Spradlin M, Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2010 (7) 
01-07-2010
bullet iconThe tree formula for MHV graviton amplitudes
Nguyen D, Spradlin M, Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics vol. 2010 (7) 
01-01-2010

2009

bullet iconCorrelation functions in non-relativistic holography
Volovich A and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2009 (05) 
20-05-2009
bullet iconTree-level amplitudes in N=8 supergravity
Drummond JM, Spradlin M, Volovich A and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 79 (10) 
15-05-2009
bullet iconThree applications of a bonus relation for gravity amplitudes
Spradlin M, Volovich A and Wen C
Physics Letters B, Elsevier vol. 674 (1), 69-72.  
01-04-2009

2008

bullet iconThree-loop leading singularities and Bern-Dixon-Smirnov ansatz for five particles
Spradlin M, Volovich A and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 78 (8) 
15-10-2008

2007

bullet iconLOOPS IN SUPER YANG-MILLS THEORIES
CHEN G, LUO M and WEN C
Modern Physics Letters A. vol. 22 (07n10), 675-681.  
28-03-2007
bullet iconGLUEBALL MASSES FROM ADS6 GRAVITY THEORY
CAI B, WEN C and YANG H
Modern Physics Letters A. vol. 22 (07n10), 719-725.  
28-03-2007

2005

bullet iconCompact formulas for tree amplitudes of six partons
Luo M and Wen C
Physical Review D, American Physical Society (Aps) vol. 71 (9) 
01-05-2005
bullet iconQCD4 GLUEBALL MASSES FROM AdS6 BLACK HOLE DESCRIPTION
WEN C-K and YANG H-X
Modern Physics Letters A, World Scientific Publishing vol. 20 (13), 997-1003.  
30-04-2005
bullet iconRecursion relations for tree amplitudes in super gauge theories
Luo M and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2005 (03) 
02-03-2005
bullet iconSystematics of one-loop scattering amplitudes in N=4 super-Yang–Mills theories
Luo M and Wen C
Physics Letters B, Elsevier vol. 609 (1-2), 86-94.  
01-03-2005
bullet iconCompact formulas for tree amplitudes of six partons
Luo MX and Wen CK
Physical Review D vol. 71 (9) 
01-01-2005

2004

bullet iconOne-loop maximal helicity violating amplitudes in N = 4 super Yang-Mills theories
Luo M and Wen C
Journal of High Energy Physics, Springer Nature vol. 2004 (11) 
03-11-2004

Grants

solid heart iconGrants of specific relevance to the Centre for Fundamental Physics
solid heart iconAmplitudes, Strings and Duality (CG 2022)
Andreas Brandhuber, David Berman, Matthew Buican, Rodolfo Russo, David Vegh, Sanjaye Ramgoolam, Gabriele Travaglini, Christopher White, Bill Spence, Congkao Wen, Constantinos Papageorgakis, Ricardo Monteiro and Malcolm Perry
£1,477,966 Science & Technology Research Council (STFC)
01-10-2023 - 30-09-2026
solid heart iconScattering of Particles and Strings: Holography, Geometry, and Hidden structures - URF Renewal
Congkao Wen
£407,603 Royal Society
01-01-2023 - 31-12-2025
solid heart iconURF Renewals 2022: Enhanced Research Expenses
Congkao Wen
£240,000 Royal Society
01-01-2023 - 31-12-2025
solid heart iconCongkao Wen, RS URF 1st-Year Grant starter grant
Congkao Wen
£92,148 Royal Society
31-03-2018 - 31-12-2025

solid heart iconCorrelation functions in conformal field theories and AdS/CFT duality - Research Fellows Enhanced Research Expenses 2021
Congkao Wen
£52,218 Royal Society
01-09-2022 - 31-08-2024
solid heart iconAmplitudes, Strings and Duality
Andreas Brandhuber, Bill Spence, Rodolfo Russo, Sanjaye Ramgoolam, Matthew Buican, Michael Green, Steven Thomas, Steven Thomas, Gabriele Travaglini, Congkao Wen, Constantinos Papageorgakis, David Berman, Christopher White, David Vegh, Ricardo Monteiro and Malcolm Perry
£890,210 Science & Technology Research Council (STFC)
01-10-2020 - 31-03-2024
solid heart iconUniversity Research Fellowship - Dr Congkao Wen
Congkao Wen
£494,123 Royal Society
01-04-2018 - 31-12-2022