Rare-earth activated nano-structures fabricated by sol-gel route

In this paper we present recent results obtained in developing glass-based photonic structures on the nano and micro scale, based on the sol-gel techniques and activated by rare earth ions. The fabrication protocols as well as the spectroscopic assessment of: a) low-loss silica glass-ceramic waveguides with high SnO2 content activated by Eu3+ ; b) Er3+-activated silica inverse opal, are reported.