The Department of Optics and Spectroscopy has a long history. It was founded in 1949 on the basis of the Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and X-ray room of the Department of General Physics. The great scientists and experts in various fields of science and technology were at the head of the Department. The first head of the department was Professor Kudryavtseva V.M. (1949-1959), a specialist in luminescence of crystal. During that period the Department of Optics and Spectroscopy worked on studying the emission spectral analysis, and roentgenography (Saichenko Yu.M., Mendakov N.S., Kotelnikov A.P.).

The great contribution to the development of the Department of Optics and Spectroscopy was made by the Associate Professor Polatbekov P.P., who was the head of the department from 1950 to 1970. The main work on the spectroscopic methods of investigation of the composition and substances properties was made under his leadership during that period. He was a supervisor of many young specialists and postgraduate students who defended their dissertations (Zhukov I.A., Zherebenko A.V., Dzhumanov K.B., Mukhambetov D.G.). P. P. Polatbetov published the first textbook on optics and the tutorial "Optical spectra" in Kazakh language.

From 1970 to 1978, the head of the Department was the cand. of phys. and math. sci., an associate professor Sarsembayeva H.K.. The scientific research work on luminescence of phosphor crystals and production of the detectors on their basis was performed under her supervision. She made great contribution to the development of material and technical base and improvement of the quality of teaching staff.

From 1978 to 1987 the department was headed by the doct. of phys. and math. sci., professor Genkin I.L. who worked on the problems of celestial mechanics and dynamics of stellar systems. He published his research work (in co-authorship with Osipkov L.P.) in the educational monograph "Introduction to the dynamics of stellar systems". 

From 1994 to 1996 the Department was headed by the cand. of phys. and math. sci., an associate professor Dzhumanov K.B. who made great contribution to the methodological support for teaching general courses at the department.

Baimbetov F.B.  - the doct. of phys. and math. sci., an academician of NAS RK, specialist in the field of Plasma Physics was elected as a head of the Department of Optics and Plasma Physics in 1987.  The research on Plasma Physics and interaction of Pulsed Plasma fluxes with materials began at the department after his election. According the results of research work conducted under Baimbetov F.B leadership four doctor dissertations were defended: Ramazanov T.S. (1995), Dzhumamukhambetov N.G. (1997), Arkhipov Yu.V. (2003) and Ibraev B.M. (2006). Dzhumagulova K.N. defended her doctor dissertation (scientific advisor is prof. Ramazanov T.S.) in 2008, Davletov A.E. and Zhukeshov A.M. defended their doctor dissertations in 2010. In addition, 24 candidate dissertations on Physics of dense gases and Plasma have been defended at the department. Nowadays the department team was replenished by doctors and candidates of physics and mathematics sciences and Ph. doctors as a result of widespread involvement of graduates of different years to the research work ( (Dzhumagulova K.N., Gabdullina G.L., Davletov A.E., Zhukeshov A.M., Kodanova S.K., Gabdullin M.T., Turekhanova K.M., Gabdullina A.T., Amrenova A.U., Meyrkhanova G.M., Askaruly A., Tashev B.A.

Since 2004 the head of the department has been the doct. of phys. and math. sci., professor Arkhipov Yu.V. His research interests are the study of dynamic processes in the laboratory and space plasma. Three candidate dissertations and two Ph.D. dissertations have been defended under his supervision.

Head of the department since 2018, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, professor Kodanova S.K. Winner of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of science and technology named after Al-Farabi in 2015. The professor reads general and special courses at the department, supervises students' theses, master's and doctoral theses. Research interests: Modeling of processes in plasma physics. Has over 100 scientific publications.