Research Field

Direction 1: Research on Quantum Field Theory

        After more than half a century of development, quantum field theory (QFT) has become a fundamental tool in physics. Initially applied to particle physics, it has gradually expanded into various fields, including nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, playing an increasingly important role. Considering that Newtonian mechanics, based on absolute spacetime and definite paths, governed the world for over 200 years, it is believed that quantum field theory, based on relative spacetime and probabilistic amplitudes, is still in its early stages. It is expected that in the next hundred years, quantum field theory will shine even more brightly in scientific research, crossing disciplines and exerting unimaginable powerful effects.

        Since physics is an experimental science, theoretical models based on quantum field theory must be compared with experiments to drive progress in the field. Unfortunately, at present, only a very small number of experimental observables are available for comparison with quantum field theory predictions. For many other observables, solving quantum field theory remains elusive, significantly limiting its applications. Our research group is working on systematically solving quantum field theory from both perturbative and non-perturbative approaches, aiming to expand its range of applications and address pressing phenomenological issues at the forefront of research.

Direction 2: Research on Color Confinement Mechanism

        In the context of electromagnetic interactions, both electrically neutral particles (such as hydrogen atoms) and charged particles (such as electrons) can be directly observed in experiments. However, in the strong interaction environment, only color-neutral particles (such as protons and neutrons) can be observed, while particles carrying color charge, such as quarks and gluons, cannot be directly detected. This phenomenon, known as quark confinement or color confinement, is one of the seven major problems of the 21st century, as listed by the Clay Mathematics Institute, with a million-dollar prize for its solution.

        In the early universe or near high-energy particle collision points, large numbers of quarks and gluons are produced. Why do these particles necessarily evolve into color-neutral hadrons? How does this evolution occur? Based on extensive hadron production experiments at particle colliders, our group studies the patterns of quark-to-hadron phase transitions and evolution, aiming to better understand hadronization and the color confinement mechanism.

Direction 3: Research on Physics and Artificial Intelligence

        Humanity has spent thousands of years developing scientific theories capable of explaining phenomena ranging from the structure of the universe to the distribution of quarks. However, human weaknesses are also very apparent: first, the limited computational speed of the human brain makes large-scale rational analysis difficult; second, the imagination of the human brain is constrained, limiting our ability to conceive higher-dimensional models and understand certain inherently high-dimensional problems in the real world. These weaknesses in human cognition are precisely where artificial intelligence (AI), built on neural networks, excels. Therefore, AI can significantly aid in understanding the laws of nature and solving numerous problems that are beyond the capacity of the human brain alone.

        Our research group leverages AI tools to explore the automatic discovery of natural laws and solve pressing scientific problems, accelerating the pace of scientific research. At the same time, we treat neural networks as a novel physical system and explore their underlying principles, contributing to the advancement of AI’s foundational architecture.