Persistent spectral hole burning was observed at temperatures higher than 77 K inSiO2glass doped with theEu3+ions. TheEu3+-dopedSiO2glass was prepared using the sol-gel process ofSi(OC2H5)4andEuCl3⋅6H2O.A persistent spectral hole was burned in the excitation spectrum of the7F0→5D0transition ofEu3+using a Rhodamine 6G dye laser, of which the hole width and depth were1.6 cm−1and∼20&percent;of the total intensity, respectively, at 77 K. Hole depth decreased with increasing temperature and disappeared above∼130 K.A possible mechanism for the hole burning is related to the local structure aroundEu3+and the residual OH andH2Oin the glass. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.