Physics was introduced in 1924 as one of the subjects for the intermediate course with Mr. S. V. Subbaiyar as the first faculty member. In 1927, Natural Science was introduced and Rev. Fr. Schneider S.J., joined the Department. In 1942, Mr. Thomas Joseph and Rev. Fr. Laurent S.J., were appointed. Mr. P. Chidambaram joined the institution in the year 1950. After 25 years of service, Rev. Fr. Schneider S.J., retired in the year 1952.
B.Sc. Physics was introduced in the year 1956, with Mr. N. R. Krishnamoorthy was appointed as the Head of the Department. He left the Department in the year 1958 and Mr. Thomas Joseph was promoted as the Head of the Department.
Later, Mr. I. Soosairethanam, Mr. P. Meenakshi Sundaram, Mr. Cyril Fernando and Mr. J. A. Stephen were appointed. Mr. Peter Angelo was appointed in the place of Mr. Cyril Fernando, who left the Department. When Mr. Peter Angelo left the Department in the year 1961, Mr. Y. Pauldurai joined the Department. In 1965, Mr. S. Ambrose was appointed. In 1969, Rev. Fr. John Bosco, S. J., was appointed. Mr. M. Kanakaraj joined the Department in the year 1975 and Mr. C. Devaraj in 1976.
After 19 years of service, Mr.I.Soosairethinam passed away in 1975. Rev. Fr. S. M. Irudayam, S.J., joined the Department in the year 1976 and later became the Principal. Mr. Y. M. Tharsius was appointed in the year 1977 and Mr. I. Sebasdiyar in 1978. After 20 years of service as the Head of the Department, Mr. Thomas Joseph retired in the year 1978.
Rev. Fr. S. M. Irudayam, S.J., retired in the year 1981. Mr. J. A. Stephen was promoted as the Head of the Department in the year 1981 and retired in the year 1992. In 1992 Mr. Y. Pauldurai was promoted as the Head of the Department. When Mr. Y. Pauldurai retired in 1994, Mr. C. Devaraj was promoted as the Head of the Department. Dr. S. Paulraj was appointed in the place of Mr. Ambrose, who was appointed as the Head of the Department of Computer Science.
Dr. J. Benet Charles was appointed in the year 1995 in the place of Mr. J. A. Stephen. After serving the college for 30 years, Mr. M. Kanakaraju passed away on February 5, 2005. Mr. C. Devaraj retired on March 31, 2005 and Y. M. Tharsius was promoted as the Head of the Department on April 1, 2005. Rev. Dr. J. Danis Ponnaiah, S.J., was appointed in place of Mr. M. Kanakaraju. Dr. D. Prem Anand was appointed in the year 2007 in the place of Mr. C. Devaraj.
M.Sc. Physics was started during the academic year 2007-08 as a Self-financing course. Mr. Veda Podagar, Mrs. R. Mary Jenila, Mrs. S. Anna Venus, Mr. S.G. Rejith and Mr. M. Augustin were appointed as lecturers to handle Self-financed courses. During 2007, Rev. Dr. J. Danis Ponniah S.J., was promoted as a Coordinator for the Self-finance course. In the same year, Mr. Veda Podagar was promoted as the Coordinator in 2008. Mrs. R. Mary Jenila was promoted as the coordinator in 2009.
Mr. I. Sebasdiyar was appointed as the Head of the Department in 2010. The Department was upgraded as a research centre in the year 2010. Mr.Y.M.Tharsius and Mr.I.Sebasdiyar retired in the month of May 2012. Dr. S. Paulraj was promoted as the Head of the Department in the year 2012.
Dr. V. Sivashankar and Dr. G. David Rathinavelu were appointed as an Assistant Professor in the place of Mr. I. Sebasdiyar and Y.M. Tharsius in the year 2012. Dr. B. Helina was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the place of Dr. J. Benet Charles who had passed away in the year 2014. Mrs. S. Anna Venus was promoted as the Coordinator of the Self-finance course in the year 2015. Dr. L. Arun Jose joined as an Assistant Professor in the self-finance stream in the year 2016. In the year 2017 Dr. D. Prem Anand was appointed as the Head of the Department. Dr. S. Anna Venus was appointed in the place of Rev. Dr. J. Dannis Ponnaiah S.J., in the year 2019.
B.Sc Physics was started in the Self supporting scheme in the year 2019.
Dr. R. Mary Jenila was promoted as the Coordinator of the Self-finance course. Mr. R. Christuraja was appointed in the Self-finance stream in the year 2020. In 2021, Dr. D.E. Jain Ruth and Dr. S.Aron Rabi were appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Self-finance stream. Dr. L. Antony Selvam and Dr. M. Sheela Udaya Roselin joined as an Assistant Professor in the Self-finance stream in the year 2022.
Dr. B. Helina was appointed as the Head of the Department from July 2022. Dr.S.Paulraj retired in the month of April 2023. Dr.S.G.Rejith was appointed in the place of Dr.S.Paulraj in the year 2023.
Dr. I. Loyola Paulraj was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Self-finance stream. In 2024, Dr. L. Arun Jose was promoted as the Coordinator of the Self-finance course. Dr.N.K.KArthick was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the year 2025.
Presently there are 14 Teaching Staff and 4 Non Teaching Staff in the Department. Of the 14 Teaching Staff 13 holds Ph.D. Degree in Physics. There are 9 Research Guides under whom 54 Scholars are registered for their Ph.D. Degree. The area of research being carried out in the Department are Solid State Physics, Nano Materials and their Characterization, Crystal Growth, Polymers, Thin Films and Energy materials. So far our Department has received a sum of Seventy Lakhs for Research from various funding agencies. More than 500 papers has been published in reputed journals.
There are about 300 books in the Department library. The Department has very well equipped laboratories for conducting its programs. There are two laboratories one for UG and the other for PG and four Research Centres equipped with Spin Coater, Muffle Furnace, UV Visible Double Beam Spectrophotometer and Electro chemical work station.
The above facilities and resources provide a comprehensive environment for both academic learning and advanced research, ensuring that students and faculty have the necessary tools to excel in their teaching and learning which contributes to the overall success of the Department.