[摘要]:This paper describes a way to develop magneto-optical waveguides via sol-gel process. They are made of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles embedded in a silica/zirconia matrix. Thin films are coated on glass substrate using the dip-coating technique. Annealing and UV treatment are applied to finalize sample preparation. Therefore, planar waveguides combining magneto-optical properties with a low refractive index (approximate to 1,5) are obtained. M-lines and free space ellipsometry measurements show a specific Faraday rotation of 250 degrees/cm and a modal birefringence of 1x10(-4) at 820 nm. Thus, the mode conversion efficiency can reach a maximum value around 56%.