About

Principle Investigator

The Hastings Research Group studies nanoscale materials and devices, particularly magnetic and photonic systems, along with their associated nanomanufacturing technologies. Current efforts are focused on applications in optical sensing, imaging, materials characterization, and unconventional computing.

Todd Hastings

Todd Hastings Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

Linked Department (or Location): Faculty Profile
Location Detail: 367 Ralph G. Anderson Building
Email: todd.hastings@uky.edu
Phone: 859-218-6544

News

Enhanced patterned fluorescence from polystyrene through focused electron beam irradiation under various gases

Dec 11, 2025

Polystyrene consists of long hydrocarbon chains with a phenyl group in the repeating monomer unit

Enhanced patterned fluorescence from polystyrene through focused electron beam irradiation under various gases

Nov 25, 2025

A novel method for tuning and enhancing fluorescence from irradiated polystyrene through focused electron-beam exposure in gaseous environments. We describe the effect of electron dose and ambient gas on the photoluminescence (PL) spectra and yield of irradiated polystyrene films on insulating and conductive substrates. For the full article, click here.

2026 Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Scholars announced

Nov 3, 2025

Thanks to the generous support of Stanley and Karen Pigman and Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF), engineering researchers are receiving additional annual funding to enhance the research priorities and programs of the Pigman College of Engineering. Established in 2024, the Lighthouse Beacon Foundation Endowment supports faculty, research, graduate students, facilities and research infrastructure in the Pigman College of Engineering. This year, the endowment made $235,000 in funds available for distribution.

Schematic of VP-EBL. When performing EBL on insulating substrates, the bulk of the sample charges negatively by trapping primary electrons. Introducing a gas in the chamber can mitigate this charging process because the gas molecules may be ionized by electron impact. Typically, multiple ions are generated through a cascade as secondary electrons are accelerated toward the biased detector.

Enhancing Contrast and Resolution for Electron-Beam Lithography on Insulating Substrates

Deepak Kumar , Cooper Meyers, RJ L. Smith, and J. Todd Hastings , Senior Member, IEEE

Oct 30, 2025

Nanotechnology

Full article published in IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11202715.

Enhanced patterned fluorescence from polystyrene through focused electron beam irradiation under various gases

Sep 17, 2025

We report on a novel method for tuning and enhancing fluorescence from irradiated polystyrene through focused electron-beam exposure in gaseous environments. We describe the effect of electron dose and ambient gas on the photoluminescence (PL) spectra and yield of irradiated polystyrene films on insulating and conductive substrates. Read the full article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40882666/

New paper in Applied Optics examines how to improve and enhance color

Mar 14, 2025

Conventional cameras benefit from an alternative RGBW arrays by responding with higher sensitivity in low light and and low color error. Finding the correct metafilters to enable simultaneous focusing and filtering is examined by new researcher Alex J. Thuringer along with Dr. J. Todd Hastings and Dr. Mansoor A. Sultan in the article, Metasurface color filter arrays with a high efficiency and low color error published in the January 20, 2025 issue of Applied Optics.

New paper in Physical Review B describes how to use x-ray orbital angular momentum to probe nanoscale magnets

Jul 22, 2024

This article reviews the generation and applications of orbital angular momentum beams in the x-ray and extreme ultraviolet regime. Several recent works that exploit the orbital angular momentum degree of freedom and showcase the potential advantages of using these beams are presented.The full paper can be found at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-648X/ad53b3/meta.

New paper in Communications Materials describes antiviral membrane

May 24, 2022

A collaboration involving the Hastings' group recently published results describing a new antiviral membrane filter. The effort, led by Dr. Bhattacharyya in U.K.'s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, showed that the new membrane can capture aerosols and deactivate the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It also showed good breathability and resistance to fouling making it suitable for both mask and indoor air filtration applications.

New paper in Optics Letters describes Zoom Metalens

Aug 17, 2021

UK graduate Students Fatih Balli and Mansoor Sultan recently published their work on variofocal ("zoom") metalenses in Optics Letters. Metalenses replace traditional bulky glass optics with thin, lightweight, patterned surfaces. The metalens discussed in this paper consists of two "flat" optical elements whose mutual rotation allows the focal length to be adjusted. The metalenses were fabricated using two-photon lithography, a type of nanoscale 3D printing.

hastings-et-al-switchable-x-ray-oam-from-an-artificial-spin-ice-031521.png

New paper in Physical Review Letters highlighted in Physics Magazine

Mar 15, 2021

Postdoc Justin Woods and former postdoc Xiaoqian Chen's work, "Switchable X-Ray Orbital Angular Momentum from an Artificial Spin Ice," just appeared in Physical Review Letters. The paper was also highlighted in Physics Magazine in a Viewpoint article entitled "Switching the Twist in X Rays with Magnets." The research was conducted by a collabortive team from U.K.'s Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics departments along with Lawrenc

About

Principle Investigator

Todd Hastings

News

Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering