Abstract: A method of making a cathode for a battery includes the steps of depositing a precursor cathode film having a first crystallinity profile. The precursor cathode film is annealed by irradiating the precursor cathode film with from 1 to 100 photonic pulses having a wavelength of from 200 nm to 1600 nm, a pulse duration of from 0.01 ?s and 5000 ?s and a pulse frequency of from 1 nHz to 100 Hz. The photonic pulses are continued until the precursor cathode film has recrystallized from the first crystallinity profile to a second crystallinity profile.