Preparation and spectral properties of Nd2O3-doped silica-based glasses prepared by the sol–gel process

Abstract The characteristics of gels and the spectral-luminescence of Nd 2 O 3 -doped SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 gel-glasses have been studied. By dipping the gel into CCl 4 solution followed by heat treatment, the hydroxyl levels in the glass could be reduced to below 10 ppm. The fluorescence spectra for sol–gel-derived Nd 2 O 3 -doped SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glasses show that the peak position shifts from 1.082 μm (in the Nd 2 O 3 -doped SiO 2 glass) to 1.061 μm (in the Nd 2 O 3 -doped Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glass).