The aim of the project was to realise rare earth doped planar silica waveguide lasers. Research centred on two rare earth ions: neodymium taking advantage of the four level laser system near 1.05 mum and erbium with emission at 1.54 mum, in the important third telecommunication window. Research concentrated on SiO2-P2O5 glass films fabricated by the flame hydrolysis of SiCl4 and PCI3. The resultant low density glass soot was deposited onto silica or oxidised silicon substrates, which was then sintered at temperatures up to 135
