We report the energy-transfer mechanisms and emission quantum yield measurements of sol−gel-derived Eu3+-based nanohybrids. The matrix of these materials, classified as diureasils and termed U(2000) and U(600), includes urea cross-links between a siliceous backbone and polyether-based segments of two molecular weights, 2000 and 600, respectively. These materials are full-color emitters in which the Eu3+ 5D0 → 7F0 - 4 lines merge with the broad green-blue emission of the nanoscopic matrix's backbone. The excitation spectra show the presence of a large broad band (∼27000−29000 cm-1) undoubtedly assigned to a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer state. Emission quantum yields range from 2% to 13.0% depending on the polymer molecular weight and Eu3+ concentration. Energy transfer between the hybrid hosts and the cations arises from two different and independent processes:  the charge-transfer band and energy transfer from the hybrid's emitting centers. The activation of the latter mechanisms induces a decrease in the emission quantum yields (relative to undoped nanohybrids) and permits a fine-tuning of the emission chromaticity across the Comission Internacionalle d'Éclairage diagram, e.g., (x, y) color coordinates from (0.21, 0.24) to (0.39, 0.36). Moreover, that activation depends noticeably on the ion local coordination. For the diureasils with longer polymer chains, energy transfer occurs as the Eu3+ coordination involves the carbonyl-type oxygen atoms of the urea bridges, which are located near the hybrid's host emitting centers. On the contrary, in the U(600)-based diureasils, the Eu3+ ions are coordinated to the polymer chains, and therefore, the distance between the hybrid's emitting centers and the metal ions is large enough to allow efficient energy-transfer mechanisms.

70SiO 2 – 30HfO 2 planar waveguides, doped with Er3+ concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 1 mol %, were prepared by sol-gel route, using dip-coating deposition on silica glass substrates. The waveguides show high densification degree, effective intermingling of the two components of the film, and uniform surface morphology. Propagation losses of about 1 dB/cm were measured at 632.8 nm. When pumped with 987 or 514.5 nm continuous-wave laser light, the waveguides show the I413/2→I415/2 emission band with a bandwidth of 48 nm. The spectral features are found independent both on erbium content and excitation wavelength. The I413/2 level decay curves presented a single-exponential profile, with a lifetime between 2.9 and 5.0 ms, depending on the erbium concentration.

A homogeneous linewidth of 85.6±4.4  kHz is reported in 60 nm Eu3+ doped Y2O3 nanocrystals at 1.3 K. This linewidth was measured by two-pulse photon echoes on highly scattering powders using heterodyne detection. Spectral diffusion was also investigated by three-pulse photon echoes and resulted in a limited broadening of the homogenous linewidth of about 250 kHz over 120  μs. Compared to achievable Rabi frequencies, in the range of several MHz, these values show that rare earth doped nanocrystals can be useful for applications in optical quantum information processing.