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

The characteristics of gels and the spectral-luminescence of Nd2O3-doped SiO2 and Al2O3-SiO2 gel-glasses have been studied. By dipping the gel into CCl4 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 Nd2O3-doped SiO2 and Al2O3-SiO2 glasses show that the peak position shifts from 1.082 μm (in the Nd2O3-doped SiO2 glass) to 1.061 μm (in the Nd2O3-doped Al2O3-SiO2 glass).