Nanocomposite photonic glasses, waveguiding glass ceramics and confined structures tailoring Er3+ spectroscopic properties

The aim of this lecture is to highlight some advances in erbium-activated silica-based photonic systems, where suitable geometries and appropriate fabrication protocols allow tailoring and enhancement of optical and spectroscopic properties. In particular, the following topics are presented: (i) rare earth-activated glass ceramics planar waveguides; (ii) Er 3+-activated Ag exchanged silicate glass; (iii) dielectric 1-D planar microcavities; (iv) sol-gel-derived Er3+-activated dielectric spheres.