Persistent spectra hole burning is observed at room temperature in the excitation spectrum for the7F0→5D0transition of the Sm2+ions that are doped in aluminosilicate glass. Glass having the composition of Sm2+‐doped Al2O3⋅9SiO2has been prepared by the sol‐gel processing of metal alkoxides and the reaction with H2gas at 800 °C. Sol‐gel derived glass enables Sm to be doped in the Sm2+state of which the 4f6(7F0)→4f55dband does not overlap with the5D0→7F0line. The hole width and depth, which are burned by the DCM dye laser, are ∼15 cm−1and ∼10% of the total intensity, respectively, at 20 °C. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.