Abstract: An apparatus for stimulating a neural tissue of a living subject. The neural tissue is characterized with a thermal diffusion time, Td. The apparatus includes an energy source for generating optical energy and delivering means coupled to the energy source for delivering the generated optical energy to a target neural tissue. The delivering means is configured to in operation deliver the generated optical energy with a radiant exposure that causes a thermal gradient in the target neural tissue, thereby stimulating the target neural tissue, and to deliver the optical energy in pulses with a pulse duration Tp such that Tp<Td.