The research activities of the institute cover a wide range of present physics topics. They are organised in the following main research areas:

• Elementary particle physics
• Condensed matter
• Macromolecular- and many-body-physics
• Plasmaphysics
• Didactics of physics

Teaching covers the full range of modern physics.

Outreach activities are organized by the main research area "didactics of physics". Additionally outreach activities are organized together with the DESY in Zeuthen. For pupils special practise days are offered in special labs for pupils:

• Didaktics of physics
• DESY, Zeuthen
• Uni-Lab
• Physik begreifen
• Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft

• Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• Institut für Physik
• DESY, Zeuthen
• WISTA, Adlershof