It is demonstrated that the size of small metal particles can be manipulated with laser light. Even a considerable narrowing of a given size distribution on a surface can be achieved. This becomes possible by a size-selective laser-ablation process. Besides measurements of the ablation rate as a function of illumination time, laser wavelength, laser intensity, and particle size, a model is presented for the variation of the size distribution. Good agreement with experiment is found.

• Received 23 August 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.40.12509