Abstract
Plasma Bragg density gratings produced by optical-field ionization in underdense gas under the irradiation of two counterpropagating laser pulses at laser intensities around are investigated by particle-in-cell simulation. The grating is composed of interlacing layers of neutral gas and plasma (or partially ionized gas) with its density and period controlled by the initial gas density, laser wavelengths, and intersecting angles of the two laser pulses. The study shows that such gratings have a longer lifetime, about nanoseconds, as compared with those driven by the laser ponderomotive force at higher laser intensities around . They may be used for phase-matched high-harmonic generation, laser self-guiding, laser pulse compression and stretching, etc.
© 2009 Optical Society of America
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