Foundation and beginning of scientific activity of the department of Experimental Physics fell on 1872 and was caused by division of the department of Mathematical Physics of Philosophy faculty of Lviv University. Tomash Stanetsky who headed it till 1891 became the first head of the department.

Development of the department and appearance of its present building in 1897 are connected with a name of Ignatsiy Tshaska Zakrzhevsky who was its manager from 1892 to 1920. In formation and development of basic optical and spectral researches at the department the powerful contribution was made by Marian Smolukhovsky, the physicist of the world recognition who began his work at Lviv University in 1898, as well as by Stanislav Loria who headed the department from 1927 and to closing of Lviv University in 1941, which was caused by the events of the II world war. The physicist S. Loria began intensive researches of fluorescence of light with vapours of metals.

In 1944 the department resumed its scientific and pedagogical activity with a new manager – V. A. Kucher and under the leadership of V. S. Miliyanchuc began a new directions of researches on nuclear spectroscopy, influences of non – uniform fields on nuclear ranges. In 1945 from the department of Experimental Physics there was allocated the department of General Physics. Next years when the department was headed by D. D. Lazebnik (1947 – 1948), by O. I. Andrievsky (1948 – 1949), by N. V. Ponirko (1949 – 1953) widening of optico – spectral researches was continued and a new techniques of cultivation of crystals are mastered (F. M. Alemaykin, B. O. Belikovich) and diffraction methods of research of crystals are restored ( V. P. Tsvetkov).

In 1953 – 1962 L. K. Klimovska was the head of the department. In these years the most considerable scientific achivements are connected with researches of spectroscopy of crystals ( L. K. Klimovska; V. N. Vishnevsky; O. B. Liskovich); x – ray metalphysics ( V. P. Tsvetkov; N. F. Kravtsova; Ya. Y. Dutchak; Ya. M. Zakharko; O. Y. Mikolaychuk); of electrophysics (B. M. Palyukh; R. M. Kushnir); of astrophysics ( M. S. Eigenson; S. A. Kaplan).

New directions of researches enabled department of Experimental Physics to allocate the department of Physics of Solids (Solid Body), which later on (1963 – 1964) was divided into the departments of: x-ray metalphysics ( manager Ya. Y. Dutchak); Physics of Solid Body ( manager A. Y. Glauberman); Physics of Semiconductors ( manager M. B. Pashkovsky).
Formation of new departments allowed to concentrate efforts on preparation students of opticospectral specialization.

In 1962 -1971, 1974 – 1977 the department was headed by V. N. Vishnevsky, in 1971 – 1973 – the duties of its manager were done by Turkevich V. V.
At this time researches on luminescence of crystals and VUF spectroscopy began. Developed in 70- th by O. Y. Wlokh researches on non – linear and parametrical optic led to discovery of the phenomenon of electrogyration.

In 1977 -1996 the department was headed by M. O. Romanyuk. In 1979 out of the staff of the departed there was formed a new department of Non – linear Optics (head – O. Y. Wlokh). In these years at the department there started the researchers on spectroscopy of non – linear optical materials; studying of zonal power range of sold bodies; kinetics of fast changing processes; inversion of double refraction.
In 1996 – 2003 years the department was headed by I.V. Stefansky. Since 2003 year the head of the department was A. S. Voloshinovsky.

The personal training of specialists is provided by 3 professors, 6 associated professors, 4 members of the staff of educational support personal and 3 researchers. Among them there is the Honoured Professor of Lviv University, the Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine M. O. Romanyuk, and the Winner of the NAS Award named after A.Ph. Prikhotko – the Honoured Professor Ya. O. Dovgy and Honoured Professor – Voloshilovsky A. S.

The department maintains traditional close contacts with Lviv scientific and industrial organisations, with the Institute of Physics of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv T. Shevchenko National University and a number of foreign institutions: in Darsbery Oxford (England), Hamburg (Germany), Wroclaw, Poznan, Czestochow (Poland), Lyon (France), Athens (Greece), Zurich (Switzerland), Minsk (Belarus) Riga (Latvia) and St. Petersburg (Russia).

The department of Experimental Physics provide the basic training on optics of which enables its students to work at the modern spheres of physics, physical, optical-electronical and lazer technology. Among more than 1300 graduates there are Academicians, about 40 Doctors and over 200 Candidates of Science, directors of schools, colleges and factories. Among them: M. S. Brodin, I. A. Klimyshyn, P. G. Ivanitskyi, G. P. Hnatenko, A. O. Borsch, E. B. Soboliev, K. M. Salkova, I. M. Bolesta, A. O. Matkovsky, G. D. Nabytovich, I. I. Polovynko, I. V. Kityk, M. G. Matsko, M. M. Vakiv, B. G. Mytsyk, B. V. Andrievsky, O. B. Lyskovich, G. M. Bomdarchuk and others. Graduates and post-graduates of the department work in Higher Ecucational Establishments of Ukraine, more then 20 persons in Lviv; in Lviv National University, Lviv Politechnica: Associated Professors: Moros E. G., Gaba V. M., Vibliy I. F., Tokarivskyi M. V., Kuzyk M. P., Romanyuk M. M., Moroz I. S., Franiv O. B. and others, in Lviv Agricultural University: Professor Myahkota S. V.; Associated Professors : Kostetskyi O. M. and Bilyi G. M.; in Lviv State Academy Of Veterynary Medicine – Associated Professor Tarnavska S. V., in Drogobych National Pedagogical University – Associated Professor Stan’ko M. G., in Higher Educational Establishments of Ivan-Frankovsk – nearly 10 persons, among them Professor Chernov B. O., in National Forestry University – Associated Professor Vaidanych V. S.

The training of specialists is conducted through the post-graduate education, doctorate and participation of teachers, members of the staff and competitioners for a scientific degree in scientific work. After renewal The work of the department in 1944 the members of the staff (post-graduates, competitioners) defended 11 doctoral dissertations and 68 masters theses.

In these years the department was headed by:
1872 – 1891 – Professor Stanetsky Tomash.
1920 – 1926 – Professor Megrush Roman.
1927 – 1941 – Professor Loria Stanislav.
1944 – 1946 – Professor Kusher Volodymir Antonovich.
1947 – 1948 – Associated Professor Lazebnik Dmitro Danylovich.
1948 – 1949 – Professor Andrievsky Olexander Ivanovich.
1949 – 1953 – Professor Ponirko Nykandr Vladyslavovich.
1953 – 1962 – Associated Professor Klimovska Lyubov Kostyantynivna.
1962 – 1971, 1974 – 1977 – Associated Professor Vishnevsky Vasyl Nikanorovych.
1971 – 1973 – Associated Professor Tukevych Vasyl Vasylovych.
1977 – 1996 – Professor Romanyuk Mykola Olexiyovych.
1996 -2003 – Associated Professor Stefanskyi Ihor Vasylovych.
From July 2003 – Professor Voloshynovskyi Anatoliy Stepanovych.

Nowadays the department develops such directions of researchers:
– Optics of nanoscale objects;
– Nonlinear optical and photovoltic properties of photorefractive crystal;
– Radioactive relaxation of electronic excitations in dielectric crystals;
– Spectral refractometry of ferroelectic crystals.