The Department is composed of groups working in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, life sciences, and science and technology for junior-high school. In all these areas there are extensive research and development projects, aimed at producing improved and up-to-date learning materials that integrate the use of modern technologies, and implementing these materials throughout the Israeli education system.

The Department of Physics of Complex Systems has research programs in applied physics, including optics (holography, image processing, non-linear effects in optical fibers, electro-optics, planar optics and ultrafast optics, atomic lithography and laser cooling, and trapping of atoms).

The Department of Particle Physics is engaged in both experimental and theoretical research, in various directions. These include elementary particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, field theory, string theory, molecular physics, nuclear physics, plasma physics, and radiation detection physics.