Rudi Santbergen studied Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology, with a specialization in fluid mechanics. After obtaining his master's degree, he started his Ph.D. research at the department of Mechanical Engineering of the same university. Under the supervision of Professor Ronald van Zolingen he worked on the topic of the photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) solar collector. As a part of this research he developed an optical model for light-trapping in solar cells.

In 2008 he received his Ph.D. degree for his thesis 'Optical Absorption Factor of Solar Cells for PVT Systems'. In 2009 he joined the PVMD group at Delft University to work on improving the optical design of solar cells. Of special interest is the use of plasmonic metal nanostructures that are designed to confine light inside the solar cell. He is also developing advanced optical models for accurate and fast simulation of crystalline silicon and thin-film solar cells. In 2013 he spent 6 months at the Photovoltaic Research Laboratories of Kaneka Corporation in Japan.