Reversible relaxation of the shape of metal nanoparticles and its light-induced acceleration

A reversible change in the shape of metal nanoparticles with a variation of the temperature of a dielectric substrate has been revealed. It has been shown that illumination increases the rate of the relaxation of the shape of the nanoparticles. The observed phenomena have been interpreted in the framework of the light-induced diffusion of metal atoms on the surface of a metal nanoparticle.