  We propose the use of a laser beam tightly focused on a superconducting strip
to create a Josephson junction by photothermal effect. The critical current of
this junction can be easily controlled by the laser intensity. We show that a
periodic modulation of the intensity substantially changes the dynamic
properties of the junction and results in the appearance of Shapiro steps
without microwave radiation. The experimental realization of optically driven
Josephson junctions may open a way for the ultra-fast creation and switching of
complex patterns of superconducting devices with tunable geometry and
current-phase relations.
