Pulsed laser recording of gratings in SiO-Cu quantum dot thin films

Interference patterns are written by two intersecting pulsed laser beams in thin films composed of Cu quantum dots in SiO glass. The rapid local optical heating of the metal clusters forming the quantum dots in the glass film results in the writing of patterns in the thin film. The high cluster temperatures attained drive the selective growth of the larger quantum dots and also result in a stress induced peeling of the film from the substrate. Estimates of the kinetics of the selective quantum dot growth agrees well with experimental observations.