He theoretically predicted a new class of surface electromagnetic waves, now called Dyakonov surface waves (DSWs) in 1988. Unlike other types of acoustic and electromagnetic surface waves, the DSW's existence is due to the difference in symmetry of materials forming the interface. These waves are important at the interface of a biaxial anisotropic dielectric with an isotropic medium, metamaterials and they have also found use in terahertz applications.