本刊于1986年創刊，內容涵蓋引力、宇宙學、天體物理學、核物理、粒子與場、加速器物理、量子信息等領域的最新研究進展。還設立了一個簡短的審查科，出版關于最新實驗結果和緊迫的新理論發展的簡短報告。

This letters journal, launched in 1986, consists of research papers covering current research developments in Gravitation, Cosmology, Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Particles and Fields, Accelerator physics, and Quantum Information. A Brief Review section has also been initiated with the purpose of publishing short reports on the latest experimental findings and urgent new theoretical developments.