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

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

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

Compositional-Asymmetry-Induced Transition of Directional Liquid Transport on Tilted and Janusian Nanohair Arrays

Li, Y., Liu, H., Huo, L., Lei, M. & Lakhtakia, A., Apr 2 2025, In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 17, 13, p. 20418-20430 13 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Powder-Sintered Hierarchically Porous PMMA with Optimal Pore Parameters for Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling

Li, Y., Zhao, H., Meng, X., Zhao, Y., Liu, H., Lei, M. & Lakhtakia, A., Mar 4 2025, In: Advanced Materials Technologies. 10, 5, 2400713.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Recommendations of India’s National Education Policy 2020 for higher education

Venkata, R. R., Bhattacharya, P., Lakhtakia, A. & Krishnasamy, S. T., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Bifacial flexible CIGS thin-film solar cells with nonlinearly graded-bandgap photon-absorbing layers

Ahmad, F., Monk, P. B. & Lakhtakia, A., Apr 1 2024, In: JPhys Energy. 6, 2, 025012.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Efficiency enhancement of ultrathin CIGS solar cells by optimal bandgap grading. Part III: piecewise-homogeneous grading

Ahmad, F., Monk, P. B. & Lakhtakia, A., Apr 10 2024, In: Applied optics. 63, 11, p. 2831-2836 6 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Transport of intensity and phase: applications to digital holography [Invited]

Alanazi, N. A., Scott, A. M., Al-Ghezi, H., Faryad, M., Lakhtakia, A. & Banerjee, P. P., Apr 1 2024, In: Applied optics. 63, 10, p. 2436-2454 19 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

The Non-Metallic Electrical Connector: A New Connector Technology Based on Wireless Power Transfer

Benjestorf, J. S., Pascucci, V. C., Urbina, J. V. & Lakhtakia, A., 2024, In: IEEE Access. 12, p. 121994-122015 22 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Non-metallic magnetostatically tunable metasurface absorber for terahertz waves

Clemente-Arenas, M., Rubio-Noriega, R. E., Urbina, J. V. & Lakhtakia, A., Mar 1 2024, In: Journal of the Optical Society of America B: Optical Physics. 41, 3, p. 691-697 7 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Electromagnetic surface waves guided by the interface of a metal and a tightly interlaced matched ambidextrous bilayer

De Simone, R., Chiadini, F., Fiumara, V. & Lakhtakia, A., Jul 1 2024, In: Journal of Optics (United Kingdom). 26, 7, 075003.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Homogenization of a random mixture of identically oriented superspheroidal particles

Iga-Buitrón, H. M., Mackay, T. G. & Lakhtakia, A., 2024, In: Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications. 38, 18, p. 2076-2090 15 p.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Comment on ‘No circular birefringence exists in a chiral medium: an analysis of single-mode refraction’

Koufidis, S. F., Lakhtakia, A. & McCall, M. W., Dec 1 2024, In: New Journal of Physics. 26, 12, 128001.

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Geometric phase in plane-wave transmission by a dielectric structurally chiral slab with a central phase defect

Lakhtakia, A., Apr 2024, In: Physical Review A. 109, 4, 043517.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review