Nonlinear dynamics of laser-generated ion-plasma gratings: A unified description

Laser-generated plasma gratings are dynamic optical elements for the manipulation of coherent light at high intensities, beyond the damage threshold of solid-state-based materials. Their formation, evolution, and final collapse require a detailed understanding. In this paper, we present a model to explain the nonlinear dynamics of high-amplitude plasma gratings in the spatially periodic ponderomotive potential generated by two identical counterpropagating lasers. Both fluid and kinetic aspects of the grating dynamics are analyzed. It is shown that the adiabatic electron compression plays a crucial role as the electron pressure may reflect the ions from the grating and induce the grating to break in an X-type manner. A single parameter is found to determine the behavior of the grating and distinguish three fundamentally different regimes for the ion dynamics: completely reflecting, partially reflecting or passing, and crossing. Criteria for saturation and lifetime of the grating as well as the effect of finite ion temperature are presented.