The optical properties of semicontinuous silver films have been studied in the mid infrared. The film extinction spectra are
shown to be well tailored by the deposition conditions and post-fabrication photomodification with both nanosecond and picosecond
laser pulses at 10.6 μm. The photomodification results in a decrease of the extinction above the laser wavelength. We find
that the induced changes in the optical responses of the films are both wavelength and polarization selective. This technique
allows the creation of long-pass filters for the mid-IR range in accord with the earlier theory.
PACS 78.67.-n - 78.70.-g - 78.30.-j