Research institute Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB)’s much-sought-after QuantSol Winter School, taking place in Hirschegg, Kleinwalsertal, Austria next month, is designed for young postdocs, PhD students and master students in their final year at university with an interest in photovoltaics, photo-electrochemistry and solar energy conversion. HZB works on materials and technologies for a climate-neutral society, especially energy supply and information technology, in six primary research areas: solar energy, chemical energy, quantum and functional materials, photon science, accelerators, and scientific instrumentation and support.
Places at the QuantSol Winter School are limited to just 50 attendees, making it a highly competitive selection process. Therefore, we are delighted to announce that LRDC PhD student Matthew Anderson was successful with his application, and will be joining this winter’s cohort, starting on 7 February 2026 with the opening ceremony.
Then over the following five, interactive days, Matthew and his fellow participants will concentrate on analytics for photovoltaics and photo-electrochemistry. Invited speakers, who are all recognised scientists from leading world institutions, will give lectures on a wide range of topics associated with the fundamental principles of the conversion of solar energy into chemical and electrical energy, as well as the physical and technical challenges. On the first day, QuantSol Winter School students will present a description of their work and interests, and during the week, in the evenings, spend some time dedicated to undertaking practical experiments.
Matthew’s PhD focuses on the use of photovoltaic (PV) technologies as data receivers in optical wireless communication (OWC) systems, with a particular interest in the trade-off between achievable energy harvesting and data rates for simultaneous, dual functionality. To date, Matthew has worked with perovskite and organic PV cells, as well as larger scale devices, such as commercial thin-film (CdTe) and silicon solar panels.
When asked about his motivation in applying to the QuantSol Winter School and what he hopes to gain from taking part, Matthew said:
“I am excited to learn more about the fundamentals of PV technologies, and methodologies for their characterisation, beyond what is typically available through undergraduate programmes. I believe this experience will be invaluable to my understanding of the dynamics of PV related devices at the quantum level, and the parameters that dictate their communication and energy harvesting performances.” “Moving forward with my research”, added Matthew, “these new learnings will aid my understanding of how materials behave in different conditions and inform the design of future systems. Moreover, the School offers the chance to gain fresh perspectives on my work, and introduce others to my rather niche field of study.”
Visit HZB’s website to find out more about the prestigious QuantSol Winter School.