Travelling wave amplification in stationary gratings

Abstract

We show that a grating amplitude stationary in space but oscillating in time can be accurately modelled as a set of independent gratings travelling in opposite directions, interacting almost exclusively with waves travelling in the same direction. This structure reproduces the key features of travelling gratings: amplification of a wave at points where the local wave speed equals the grating velocity. The same field compression and photon production is evident when even a single Fourier component of the grating profile has a velocity that matches the local wave speed. We speculate that these stationary but oscillating gratings may prove easier to realise experimentally than travelling gratings.