The main themes of the Department is research in soft materials, statics and dynamics of macromolecules in solution, chemical kinetics, structure and dynamics of biologically important molecules and properties of artificial macromolecules like quantum dots and Bose Einstein Condensates in optical traps as well as quantum phase transitions in such systems.

The experimental techniques include state of the art ultrafast (fluorescence), high frequency and ring down spectroscopy. The theoretical studies involve applications of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, investigations of biology-inspired physics and quantum chemical calculations.

The major projects taken up by the department includes static and dynamic phenomena in complex and soft condensed matter systems (including biomolecules), non-equilibrium dynamics in biological systems, development of molecular theory for dynamic solvent response and dynamic heterogeneity in various complex liquid systems, ultrafast relaxation dynamics of water in various restricted environment including biomolecular surface, nano-bio interface, dye-sensitized light harvesting, biomedical/environmental instrumentation etc. The department has initiated a few new projects which involve generation and detection of high frequency (THz) spectroscopy, high precision ring down spectroscopy and a related breath analysis for non-invasive early detection of various diseases, expression and purification of various proteins, synthesis and characterization of functionalized nano-materials etc.

The faculty of this department have fruitful inter-department collaboration specially with the faculty members of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (CMMP) and Physics of Complex Systems (PCS) departments. Many faculty members of this department are part of Unit for Nano Science and Technology, Theme Unit of Excellence on Nanodevice Technology, Advanced Material Research Units etc.