Our group explores a broad spectrum of topics in quantum field theory, ranging from formal aspects of scattering amplitudes and cosmology—often at the interface with mathematics—to precision calculations relevant for collider physics.
Scattering amplitudes encode the probabilities of fundamental particle interactions and serve as essential ingredients for theoretical predictions tested at high-energy experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Our work advances state-of-the-art techniques for computing these amplitudes and their associated Feynman integrals, revealing hidden symmetries and structural patterns.
Group photograph of the Department for Quantum Field Theory (April 2025) (Photo: D. Davies / MPP)
Beyond collider physics, our research has uncovered deep mathematical connections, including links to algebraic geometry, cluster algebras, and structures relevant to cosmology. One central line of investigation is Positive Geometry, a novel framework that offers unifying insights into both particle physics and early-universe cosmology.
Our team has contributed to major developments such as the discovery of Cosmohedra, new geometric objects that capture the analytic structure of cosmological correlators. We have also advanced the application of tropical geometry to scattering amplitudes and identified new monotonicity properties in quantum field theory.
Together, these results not only enhance our computational capabilities but also contribute to a more unified and conceptual understanding of the fundamental laws governing the Universe.
On 1 September 2025, the Max Planck Society, the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, USA), and National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) officially opened the Max Planck–IAS–NTU Center for Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry in Taipei.…
A Rosetta Stone for understanding the Universe at all scales
The theories researchers use to describe the Universe at small and large scales – from the Standard Model of particle physics to general relativity—have proven incredibly successful. Yet, such theories remain incompatible with one another and carry…
The Max Planck Institute for Physics is pleased to announce two successful applications to the European Research Council (ERC): 10 million euros will go to the project "UNIVERSE+: Positive Geometry in Particle Physics and Cosmology", coordinated by…
The workshop "Current Topics in Fundamental Physics" on the 16th of August will bring together experts from theoretical particle physics, cosmology and mathematics to discuss the latest developments at the interface of these three research areas.
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Theoretical particle physicists sometimes compare Feynman integrals to “wild beasts”. Three physicists have now succeeded in partially taming these wild beasts with the help of mathematics. Their scientific achievement should make theoretical…
Theoretical particle physicists are not particularly well known for their simplicity but rather for their complex research field. Yet simplicity is exactly what particle physicists strive for. The researchers in the quantum field theory group led by…
Theoretical physicist Johannes M. Henn has been appointed as a new Director at the Max Planck Institute for Physics. The 37-year-old scientist conducts research into scattering amplitudes, which are used for the precise description of accelerator…
