According to the laboratory's designation neutron scattering constitutes the main research area. Neutron scattering measurements provide information on an atomic scale about the static and dynamical properties of condensed matter which - in many cases - is obtainable in no other way.

The main topics of the current research activities are: strongly correlated electron systems (high-temperature superconductors, giant magnetoresistance, manganites, ferroelectrics, heavy fermions, etc.), magnetism (long-range magnetic ordering and magnetic interactions, low-dimensional magnets, molecular magnets, quantum spin systems, etc.), materials research (colloids, nanocrystals, superionic conductors, optical storage systems, novel cooling by the barocaloric effect, etc.), multilayer systems (physical properties, optimization of multilayer systems for neutron and x-ray optical components, etc.).

Besides these research activities the laboratory is responsible for the operation, further development and extension of the instrumentation set up at the spallation source SINQ at the PSI Villigen for neutron scattering experiments. This requires a permanent effort to improve the efficiency of about a dozen different instruments through further developments in neutron optics, neutron detection, neutron polarisation from which the user community will benefit. The SINQ user programme was started in mid-1998. The number of users, from Switzerland and abroad, is steadily increasing: currently 600 users yearly perform neutron experiments at SINQ, in close collaboration with the laboratory's scientists who act as "local contacts".

In order to run the user program at SINQ efficiently and smoothly, the laboratory is organized in the following three groups: neutron diffraction, neutron spectroscopy, small angle and reflectometry.