Akhlesh Lakhtakia

Affiliate Researcher
Titles and Affiliations
Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles G. Binder Professor, Engineering Science and Mechanics

Akhlesh Lakhtakia's research focuses on electromagnetic fields in complex materials, such as sculptured thin films, chiral materials,  bianisotropy and industrially scalable bioreplication, an emerging form of engineered biomimicry applied to harvesting of solar energy and pest eradication. His technique for visualization of latent fingerprints was covered in the NOVA documentary series "Forensics on Trial".

In the News

Research Keywords

Recent Publications

Bianisotropic homogenized composite materials arising from ellipsoidal constituent particles with statistical distributions of orientations, shapes, and sizes

Iga-Buitrón, H. M., Mackay, T. G. & Lakhtakia, A., 2026, In: Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications. 40, 4, p. 585-605 21 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

van de Hulst essay: Geometric-phase portrayal of electromagnetic scattering by a three-dimensional object in free space

Lakhtakia, A., Mar 2026, In: Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer. 352, 109809.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Transmission-mode geometric phases and photonic-spin-dependent splitting characteristics of circular Bragg phenomenon through quantum weak measurements [Invited]

Mandal, S., Rehman, A., Dey, D. C., Sett, A., Horn, M. W., Pradhan, M. & Lakhtakia, A., Feb 1 2026, In: Optical Materials Express. 16, 2, p. 359-374 16 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Non-chevronic periodic columnar thin-film bilayer with a central defect layer: experiment and theory

Rehman, A., Lakhtakia, A. & Horn, M. W., Feb 10 2026, In: Applied optics. 65, 5, p. A105-A112

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Information transfer by a surface plasmon-polariton wave across a distributed Bragg reflector

Vela, R. & Lakhtakia, A., 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Modern Optics.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Optoelectronic optimization of graded-bandgap CdTeSe thin-film solar cells

Ahmad, F., Lakhtakia, A. & Monk, P. B., May 1 2025, In: Journal of Physics Communications. 9, 5, 055008.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Towards highly efficient thin-film solar cells with a graded-bandgap CZ TSSe layer. Part II: Piecewise-homogeneous bandgap grading

Ahmad, F., Monk, P. B. & Lakhtakia, A., Jan 31 2025, In: JPhys Energy. 7, 1, 015002.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Theory of perturbation of the magnetostatic field by an anisotropic magnetic torus

Alkhoori, H. M., Lakhtakia, A. & Tsitsas, N. L., Mar 1 2025, In: Journal of Physics Communications. 9, 3, 035001.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Mutual Inductance of Multilayer Spiral-Inductor Clusters for Small-Form-Factor Wireless Power Transfer (μWPT)

Benjestorf, J. S., Urbina, J. V. & Lakhtakia, A., 2025, In: IEEE Transactions on Magnetics. 61, 8, 8600210.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Periodic pixelated structure for electro-optically and orientationally programmable asymmetric electromagnetic transmission

Clemente-Arenas, M., Rubio-Noriega, R. E., Urbina, J. V. & Lakhtakia, A., Nov 20 2025, In: Applied optics. 64, 33, p. 10150-10156 7 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Mechanical Analysis of a Non-Pneumatic Tire's Spokes

Collings, W., Li, C., Schwarz, J., Lakhtakia, A., Bakis, C. E., El-Sayegh, Z. & El-Gindy, M., Apr 1 2025, In: SAE Technical Papers.

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Optical characterization of chiral three-dimensionally periodic photonic crystals fabricated by temporally periodic physical vapor deposition on two-dimensionally periodic substrates

Fiallo, R. A., Horn, M. W. & Lakhtakia, A., Jul 1 2025, In: Journal of Physics Communications. 9, 7, 075001.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Bruggeman homogenization of a particulate composite material comprising truncated spheres and spheroids

Iga-Buitrón, H. M., Mackay, T. G. & Lakhtakia, A., Jan 27 2025, In: Journal of Physics Condensed Matter. 37, 4, 045703.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Correction: Electromagnetic homogenization of particulate composite materials comprising spheroids and truncated spheroids with orientational distribution (2025), by Iga-Buitrón et al. (Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (2025) 481 (20240948) DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2024.0948)

Iga-Buitrón, H. M., Mackay, T. G. & Lakhtakia, A., Oct 15 2025, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 481, 2324, 20250769.

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review