AbstractPhotoresistant laser dyes were trapped in silica based xerogel host matrices to obtain solid state tunable lasers. For this purpose very dense xerogel samples with improved chemical and physical properties were prepared at room temperature by the sol-gel technology. The as-prepared materials were polished to obtain optical quality surfaces and were used as new lasing media.Lasing action of such different dyes as rhodamine, perylene and pyrromethene doping dense sol-gel matrices was demonstrated. Efficiencies of 30 % or lifetimes of more than 100,000 shots were achieved with different new ≤dye dopant/host matrix≥ couples. Their different performances are reviewed and discussed.