PHOTOLUMINESCENCE STUDY OF ND-DOPED SOL-GEL SILICA GLASSES

Photoluminescence spectra of the neodymium ion activated sol-gel silic a glasses have been investigated as a function of heat treatment betwe en room temperature and 1200 degrees C. Gels under investigation were prepared by adding an appropriate amount of neodymium nitrate in diffe rent sols made from TEOS or fumed silica or a mixture of fumed silica and TEOS. The fluorescence peak wavelengths of neodymium ions in the s ilica matrix were very much dependent on the thermal history of gel sa mples and independent of sintering temperature.