Extreme conditions refer to those physical conditions that neither naturally exist nor can be easily obtained through conventional methods in our everyday life, such as ultra-low temperatures, ultra-high pressures, ultra-high density, extremely high electrical and magnetic fields. With the consummation of classical sciences nowadays, these laboratory-generated extreme conditions have become more and more important in providing us new opportunities and frontiers for scientific researches. In fact, in the past decades scientists have already achieved great success with the help of these conditions.

By combining the former CAS Ultra-low Temperature Open Laboratory with some of its affiliated research groups, the Institute of Physics, CAS founded the Key Laboratory of Extreme Conditions Physics (LECP), which would assume far-reaching significance in enhancing the research level of the whole institute, broadening its knowledge in condensed matter under extreme conditions.

The future goals of the LECP is to bring the laboratory into an center that can provide the greatest convenience for many kinds of experiments under extreme condition. For this purpose, the LECP will keep on improving each facet of its current extreme conditions, expedite the further integration of different conditions, and develop all kinds of physics testing capabilities under these conditions.

At present, there are 38 research and technical staffs, including 1 Member of the Chinese Academy Sciences, 14 professors, 8 associate professors and 9 technical staffs in this laboratory. Among them, 6 professors were owners of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars; 2 scientists were granted by the Hundred Talents Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; 2 scientists were granted by the Thousand Talents Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, about 60 visiting scientists, postdocts and graduate students always work and study in this Laboratory.