The Institute of Radiation Physics conducts research for states of matter under extreme conditions and in very small dimensions. In order to investigate fundamental physical phenomena, state-of-the-art radiation sources are used. Therefore, the establishment of novel accelerators and the further development and improvement of existing machines is an essential goal of the institute. High-power lasers allow the investigation of the interactions of light and matter. For the detection of the effects on the smallest scales, high-precision and very fast detectors are developed and applied. The use of the latest high-performance GPU computing technology assures real-time handling of big data and sets world-wide standards for open-source simulation tools for complex systems.

In addition to basic research, the application of technologies is a key issue. In modern radiation therapy, developments from our institute are used. The research is embedded in the research topics "Matter" and "Health" of the Helmholtz Association.