  Cobalt and manganese ions are implanted into SiO$_2$ over a wide range of
concentrations. For low concentrations, the Co atoms occupy interstitial
locations, coordinated with oxygen, while metallic Co clusters form at higher
implantation concentrations. For all concentrations studied here, Mn ions
remain in interstitial locations and do not cluster. Using resonant x-ray
emission spectroscopy and Anderson impurity model calculations, we determine
the strength of the covalent interaction between the interstitial ions and the
SiO$_2$ valence band, finding it comparable to Mn and Co monoxides. Further, we
find an increasing reduction in the SiO$_2$ electronic band gap for increasing
implantation concentration, due primarily to the introduction of Mn- and
Co-derived conduction band states. We also observe a strong increase in a band
of x-ray stimulated luminescence at 2.75 eV after implantation, attributed to
oxygen deficient centers formed during implantation.
