Dr. P. Thilakan was awarded Doctoral Degree for his research in the field of semiconductor thin film and solar cell processing from Crystal Growth Centre, Anna University, Chennai. Recipient of CSIR-Senior Research Fellowship, Worked as postdoctoral fellow at ENEA- Research Centre for Photovoltaics at Napoli, Italy in the field of thin film a-Si:H and CuInSe2 solar cell fabrication. Awarded ENEA-Research Fellowship, Italy, ICTP-TRILL fellowship by International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy. Worked as lecturer in Research, VBL, Nagoya Institute of Technology and developed GaN QD based Single Electron Transistor device. Served at Photonics laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and worked on the High Speed Photodetector development. Served at Research Institute of Electronic Science, Hokkaido University as Lecturer in Research (Tenure Track position) and was awarded Telecommunication Advanced Research Fellowship award, Japan for the work on the development of Quantum Dot based single photon emitter device. Served as Senior Research Engineer (Tenure Track position) at MEMS and Packaging group of AIST, Tsukuba and worked on E-Doctor project together with OLYMBUS, Japan. IITA-Visiting Professor to Sunkyunkwang University, South Korea. To his academic credit, served as the founder member of Full-pledged M.Tech Nanotechnology program offered at VIT, Vellore and one of the founder member of M.Tech in Green Energy Technology, Dept.of Green Energy Technology, Pondicherry University. Served as resource person to the new courses started in the field of Nanotechnology and Energy Technology at various institutions in India during 2004-2010. Presently, Serving as Dean Academic & NEP coordinator Pondicherry University. As Dean Academic, introduced B.Tech courses at Pondicherry University first time along with 14 more arts & Science courses in 2024.
He has been the visiting Researcher to University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, HMI- Berlin, Germany, Walter Schottky Institute, Germany and so on. He delivered more than 100 lectures in National and International forums, published more than 55 articles in internal journals and filed 10 patents so far. He served as Centre Head of Centre for Green Energy Technology, Pondicherry University and Established the Centre. He was also served as MEMBER, Court of Pondicherry University, member, innovative committee of Pondicherry University, Pondicherry. He is the member, School Board, Madanjeet School of Green Energy Technologies, Member Board of studies in Physics, Raja Serboji College, Thanjavure, Bharathidasan University and Department of Energy Science and Technology, Periyar University, Salem.

Photovoltaics, SPV power plants, Nano technology, Photonic and semiconductor device technologies