World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Electronics and Electrical Engineering
USA
2025

D-Index & Metrics

Electronics and Electrical Engineering

D-Index
95
Citations
71507
World Ranking
233
National Ranking
117

Physics

D-Index
100
Citations
74563
World Ranking
1622
National Ranking
858

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Electronics and Electrical Engineering in United States Leader Award
  • 2019 - Frederic Ives Medal, The Optical Society For diverse and deep contributions to optical science including photonic crystals, strained semiconductor lasers, and new record-breaking solar cell physics.
  • 2019 - Benjamin Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute
  • 2018 - IEEE Edison Medal For leadership, innovations, and entrepreneurial achievements in photonics, semi-conductor lasers, antennas, and solar- cells.
  • 2017 - Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
  • 2016 - Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, American Physical Society For seminal achievements in solar cells and strained quantum well lasers, and especially for creating the field of photonic crystals, spanning both fundamental science and practical applications of that science.
  • 2015 - Institute of Physics Isaac Newton Medal, Institute of Physics (IOP) for his visionary and foundational contributions to photonic nanostructures"
  • 2013 - Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom
  • 2012 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2003 - Member of the National Academy of Engineering For introducing photonic band-gap engineering and applying semiconductor concepts to electromagnetic waves in artificial periodic structures.
  • 2003 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1992 - IEEE Fellow For contributions to semiconductor optical device physics.
  • 1990 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For a broad scope of fundamental contributions in areas as diverse as nonlinear optics, laser plasma physics, laser chemistry, solar cells, and semiconductor surface science, and for introducing the concept of photonic band structure
  • 1979 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

Eli Yablonovitch is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. Their research spans multiple fields, primarily focused on engineering and computer science, with significant contributions to subfields including electrical and electronic engineering, artificial intelligence, atomic and molecular physics and optics, civil and structural engineering, and biomedical engineering.

The recent publications by Eli Yablonovitch include:

  • "Scalable, economical, and stable sequestration of agricultural fixed carbon" (2023), published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "Thermodynamics of Light Management in Near-Field Thermophotovoltaics" (2021), published in Physical Review Applied
  • "Advances in Inverse Lithography" (2022), published in ACS Photonics
  • "Tunnel-FET Switching Is Governed by Non-Lorentzian Spectral Line Shape" (2020), published in Proceedings of the IEEE
  • "Interpretable inverse-designed cavity for on-chip nonlinear photon pair generation" (2023), published in Optica

The frequent publication venues where their work has appeared include:

  • arXiv (Cornell University)
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Physical Review Applied
  • Applied Physics Letters
  • ACS Photonics

The main research topics covered by their work are:

  • Neural Networks and Reservoir Computing
  • Photonic and Optical Devices
  • Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
  • Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
  • Solar Cell Performance Optimization
  • Mechanical and Optical Resonators
  • Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

Frequent collaborators in their publications include:

  • Sean Hooten
  • Sri Krishna Vadlamani
  • T. Patrick Xiao
  • H. W. Deckman
  • Georgia T. Papadakis

Eli Yablonovitch has received numerous awards and honors, which include:

  • Frederic Ives Medal from The Optical Society (2019) for contributions to optical science
  • Benjamin Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute (2019)
  • IEEE Edison Medal (2018) recognizing leadership and innovations in photonics and semiconductor lasers
  • Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2017)
  • Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, American Physical Society (2016) for work on solar cells and photonic crystals
  • Institute of Physics Isaac Newton Medal (2015) for contributions to photonic nanostructures
  • Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom (2013)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012)
  • Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2003) for photonic band-gap engineering and semiconductor wave applications
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2003)
  • IEEE Fellow (1992) for contributions to semiconductor optical device physics
  • Fellow of the American Physical Society (1990) for contributions spanning nonlinear optics, laser plasma physics, solar cells, and photonic band structure
  • Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (1979)

Best Publications

  • Inhibited Spontaneous Emission in Solid-State Physics and Electronics

    Eli Yablonovitch

  • High-impedance electromagnetic surfaces with a forbidden frequency band

    D. Sievenpiper;Lijun Zhang;R.F.J. Broas;N.G. Alexopolous

  • Photonic band structure: The face-centered-cubic case employing nonspherical atoms.

    E. Yablonovitch;T. J. Gmitter;K. M. Leung

  • Photonic band-gap structures

    Eli Yablonovitch

  • Photonic band structure: the face-centered-cubic case

    E. Yablonovitch;T. J. Gmitter

  • Statistical ray optics.

    Eli Yablonovitch

  • Unusually low surface-recombination velocity on silicon and germanium surfaces.

    E. Yablonovitch;D. L. Allara;C. C. Chang;T. Gmitter

  • Donor and acceptor modes in photonic band structure.

    E Yablonovitch;TJ Gmitter;RD Meade;AM Rappe

  • Near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield in MoS2

    Matin Amani;Der-Hsien Lien;Daisuke Kiriya;James Bullock

  • Strong interlayer coupling in van der Waals heterostructures built from single-layer chalcogenides

    Hui Fang;Corsin Battaglia;Carlo Carraro;Slavomir Nemsak

  • Electron-spin-resonance transistors for quantum computing in silicon-germanium heterostructures

    Rutger Vrijen;Eli Yablonovitch;Kang Wang;Hong Wen Jiang

  • Extreme selectivity in the lift‐off of epitaxial GaAs films

    Eli Yablonovitch;T. Gmitter;J. P. Harbison;R. Bhat

  • Limiting efficiency of silicon solar cells

    T. Tiedje;E. Yablonovitch;G.D. Cody;B.G. Brooks

  • 30% external quantum efficiency from surface textured, thin‐film light‐emitting diodes

    I. Schnitzer;E. Yablonovitch;C. Caneau;T. J. Gmitter

  • Strong Internal and External Luminescence as Solar Cells Approach the Shockley–Queisser Limit

    Owen D. Miller;Eli Yablonovitch;Sarah R. Kurtz

  • Intensity enhancement in textured optical sheets for solar cells

    E. Yablonovitch;G.D. Cody

  • Adjoint shape optimization applied to electromagnetic design.

    Christopher M. Lalau-Keraly;Samarth Bhargava;Owen D. Miller;Eli Yablonovitch

  • Van der Waals bonding of GaAs epitaxial liftoff films onto arbitrary substrates

    E. Yablonovitch;D. M. Hwang;T. J. Gmitter;L. T. Florez

  • Radiation properties of a planar antenna on a photonic-crystal substrate

    E. R. Brown;C. D. Parker;Eli Yablonovitch

  • Ultrahigh spontaneous emission quantum efficiency, 99.7% internally and 72% externally, from AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs double heterostructures

    I. Schnitzer;E. Yablonovitch;C. Caneau;T. J. Gmitter

  • Intensity enhancement in textured optical sheets for solar cells

    E. Yablonovitch

Frequent Co-Authors

Ming C. Wu
Ming C. Wu University of California, Berkeley
Daniel F. Sievenpiper
Daniel F. Sievenpiper University of California, San Diego
Ali Javey
Ali Javey University of California, Berkeley
Rajaram Bhat
Rajaram Bhat Corning (United States)
Axel Scherer
Axel Scherer California Institute of Technology
Jeffrey Bokor
Jeffrey Bokor University of California, Berkeley
Xiang Zhang
Xiang Zhang University of Hong Kong
J. P. Harbison
J. P. Harbison Telcordia Technologies
Shanhui Fan
Shanhui Fan Stanford University
Hoi Sing Kwok
Hoi Sing Kwok Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For students pursuing Electronics and Electrical Engineering, online education offers flexible options that fit various lifestyles and career goals. Many online universities provide multiple start dates throughout the year, allowing students to begin their studies without waiting for traditional semesters. This flexibility supports continuous learning and faster progress toward degree completion. Explore schools that offer online universities with multiple start dates to find programs that match your schedule.

Military spouses often face unique challenges in pursuing higher education due to frequent relocations. Fortunately, there are specialized programs offered by top online schools for military spouses that accommodate these needs, providing vital support and tailored resources to help them succeed in technical fields like Electrical Engineering.

For those interested in quick credentialing, 6-month certificate programs can be a smart choice. These intensive courses focus on practical skills that often lead to well-paying jobs, making them an efficient pathway into the electronics industry. Consider checking out 6 month certificate programs that pay well to boost your qualifications swiftly.

Electrical engineering roles can also suit different personality types. Introverts, for example, may thrive in specialized tasks that require deep focus and analytical skills. Identifying the right work environment is key, and there are excellent resources detailing introvert jobs in this field that align with quieter, more independent working styles.

Best Scientists Citing Eli Yablonovitch

Trending Scientists