The inflaton is the generic name of the unidentified scalar field (and its associated particle) that may be responsible for an episode of inflation in the very early universe. According to inflation theory, the inflaton field provided the mechanism to drive a period of rapid expansion from 10−35 to 10−34 seconds after the initial expansion that formed the universe. The inflaton field's lowest energy state may or may not be a zero energy state. This depends on the chosen potential e… (More on Inflaton)