Dynamics and Efficiency of Ponderomotively Driven Transient Plasma Gratings

Interfering laser beams can induce density modulations in fully ionized plasma, creating a volume diffraction grating. These plasma optics have a much higher damage threshold than traditional solid-state optics and may enable the construction of compact ultra-high-intensity laser systems. Diffraction efficiency of a plasma grating is determined by the magnitude of the refractive index modulation, while a grating's tolerance to intense laser fields is governed by the strength of electron-ion coupling. Here, we use particle-in-cell simulations to study the maximum index modulations and grating strengths that can be achieved with different plasma and laser parameters. This comprehensive study of grating parameters shows regimes for the efficient production of robust plasma gratings, including gratings that are resilient to fluctuations in the pump laser intensity.