Nonlinear Propagation of High-Intensity Light Through Plasma Volume Diffraction Gratings

Transmission gratings diffract incident light at specific angles and allow wavelength-specific manipulation of laser pulses. We simulate the performance of plasma transmission gratings that are based on the refractive index difference between ionized and non-ionized gases. The gratings are driven by the interference of two high energy femtosecond pump beams and characterized with a delayed probe beam. The diffraction efficiency of the plasma grating structure is measured under varied pump and probe divergence, wavelength, angle of incidence, and energy. We determine the effective damage threshold of the gratings by characterizing the decrease of diffraction efficiency for increased probe beam power, allowing us to understand the performance and ultimate limits of plasma-based high-power laser systems.