Department of Plasma Physics, Nanotechnology and Computer Physics was founded in 1987 as the Department of Optics and Plasma Physics on the base of the Department of Optics and Spectroscopy. The Department consists of "Electricity and Magnetism", "Atomic Physics", "Electrotechnics" laboratories. There are four scientific research laboratories of the Department of Plasma Physics at the SRIETP (Scientific Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics): the Laboratory of Nonlinear and Correlation Phenomena in Plasma (Head of the Laboratory - doct. of phys. and math. sci., professor Arkhipov Yu.V.), the Plasma Accelerator Laboratory (Head of the Laboratory - doct. of phys. and math. sci., associate professor Zhukeshov A.M.), the Laboratory of Mathematical Modeling of Plasma (Head of the Laboratory - doct. of phys. and math. sci., professor Dzhumagulova K.N.), the Laboratory of Dusty Plasma and Plasma Technologies (Head of the Laboratory - Ph.D. Danyarov T.).

 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.).

P. P. Polatbetov	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.
H.К. Sarsembayeva	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.
I.L. Genkin	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".
К.B. Zhumanov	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.
F.B. Baimbetov	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.
Yu.V.Arkhipov	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.

The Pulsed Plasma accelerator has been created at the Department and  it is used for laboratory work on special courses: "Physics of gas discharge", "Plasma Diagnostics ", " PPI interaction with materials" and for preparing graduate and master works by students specializing in Plasma Physics. In addition, this experimental plant is used for conducting research work on the PPI interaction with different materials. Service and maintenance of laboratory work on physics and special practical training sessions are carried out by experienced specialists and the graduates of Physics Faculty of al-Farabi KazNU: Murat L.T., Kusembaeva M.D., Iminova N.A., Umirzakova S.A. They are actively involved in the improvement of the laboratory work, writing  textbooks, and methodical support for educational studies.

Scientific school on plasma physics created by academician Baimbetov F.B. and counting nowadays 7 doctors of science, about 50 candidates of science and doctors of philosophy, has become a global brand in the community of scientists working on this problem. Scientific works of the representatives of this scientific school were published in the scientific top-rated journals of Russia, England, Germany, France, Japan, and the USA. They were presented at the prestigious international conferences and plenary reports. Works published by department scientists have a high citation index and actively used by leading scientists from the different countries.

Especially it is necessary to note, that several universities, research organizations and scientific groups in the United States, Germany, Korea, Japan and Spain are engaged in the theoretical research and computer modeling of properties of dense plasma on the basis of models of system particles interaction developed at the Department.