News

Researchers in the Centre for Theoretical Physics and Astronomy in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences and the Centre for Geometry, Analysis and Gravitation in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen Mary have been awarded £1.4 million from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to fund the four-year research programme titled "Amplitudes, Strings and Duality". The panel noted that "The QMUL group has been a powerhouse of research in theoretical particle physics". This award reflects QMUL's position as one of the largest and most active theoretical physics groups in the UK, building on an exceptional research record spanning string theory, scattering amplitudes, and dualities.

This major award will support a broad and ambitious programme of research at the interface of theoretical physics, mathematics, and emerging computational methods involving 16 academics and three postdoctoral researchers and is focused on two interconnected themes:

Amplitudes and Quantum Fields: QMUL has been at the forefront of modern amplitudes research, uncovering deep mathematical structures in quantum field theory, gravity, and string theory. The team has developed powerful methods to compute classical observables in general relativity relevant to gravitational waves, including landmark results using heavy-mass effective field theory and worldline approaches. Breakthroughs include the computation of gravitational waveforms and high-order scattering observables, as well as major advances in the double copy, amplituhedron, and string amplitudes.

The new programme will push the precision frontier in gravitational physics, deepen connections between complementary computational methods, and extend the reach of the double copy to new physical settings including cosmology and condensed matter. It will also explore links between quantum information theory and collider physics.

Symmetries and Quantum Fields: Dualities, Algebras and Learning: The team has led advances across holography, quantum field theory, and mathematical physics, uncovering new structures in black hole physics, conformal field theories, and topological field theories. Their work spans topics such as quantum anomalies, non-perturbative dynamics, and emergent geometry, alongside innovative applications of machine learning to quantum field theory and the bootstrap programme.

Future work will investigate the interplay between holography and quantum complexity, develop new algebraic and computational frameworks for understanding quantum field theories, and explore the role of artificial intelligence both as a tool for discovery in physics and as a subject informed by physical principles.

This grant will strengthen collaboration across SPCS and SMS at QMUL, support early-career researchers and students, and enable continued leadership in fundamental theoretical research.