The department was organized in 1985 (Head Prof. G.N. Zhizhin) and it included two laboratories: Laboratory of Crystal Spectroscopy created in 1969 (Head Prof. G.N. Zhizhin) and Laboratory of Disordered Structures Spectroscopy (Head Prof. E.A. Vinogradov) changed from the group “Spectroscopy of High Resolution” in 1984 split from Laboratory of Crystal Spectroscopy in 1982. 

At present the head of the department is Prof. E.A. Vinogradov (his Deputy is Prof. B.N. Mavrin). Now the department includes two laboratories: Laboratory of Condensed Matter Spectroscopy (Head Prof. B.N. Mavrin), Laboratory of Semiconductor Structures Spectroscopy (Head Prof. E.A. Vinogradov), and Center for Fourier Spectroscopy (Head Prof. M.N. Popova). The structure of the department changed since 1985, but its basis was Laboratory of Crystal Spectroscopy aimed on the development of the infrared and far infrared (FIR) techniques, the Raman spectroscopy (RS) of the organic and inorganic compounds, the study of the physical principles of coupling of the spectroscopic parameters with the structure and properties of crystals and their components (molecules and molecular ions), the spectroscopy of surface states of both solid and the surface formations on it (adsorption, chemosorption, corrosion and al.), and also the development of new automatic facilities maintaining the broad range of wavelengths (1-500 ?m) in combination with high resolution (0.001 cm^-1), high photometric accuracy (0.3 %) and very high ability to the detection of spectra of monolayer and submonolayer of organic and inorganic compounds on metals or dielectrics. The second main laboratory of the department was Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy created in 1969 (Head Dr. Kh.E. Sterin ) and changed in Laboratory of Vibrational Spectroscopy of Condensed Matter in 1987 (Head Prof. B.N. Mavrin). The Raman and hyper-Raman spectroscopy of crystals, new carbon materials, porous semiconductors, superconducting and superionic crystals, the film structures, amorphous materials and liquids is the main goal of this Laboratory.