Synthesys, properties and structural investigation of colloidal silica particles for photonic application

Sol-gel processing was used to obtain monosize silica spheres of 270 nm and silica spheres activated by Er3+ ions with a maximum diameter of 50 ?m. Using these spheres, two different systems have been fabricated: (i) 3D Photonic Crystals realized by vertical deposition and evaporation-assisted sedimentation deposition methods, and (ii) Er3+-activated silica microresonators. Optical and spectroscopic assessment, as well as morphological and structural characterization of the systems, were performed.