Transient grating refractive index

Transient grating spectroscopy is relatively easily handled compared with the transient absorption spectroscopy, and is often used to study carrier dynamics at semiconductor electrodes [32]. Figure 14 schematically shows the principle of transient grating spectroscopy. A femtosecond laser pulse for sample excitation is split into two beams, which are crossed again at the semiconductor surface to produce an optical striped interference pattern. The interference pattern produces a striped pattern of the densities of photo-generated electrons and holes near the semiconductor surface. The latter striped pattern gives rise to a striped pattern of optical refractive index near the semiconductor surface, which is monitored by measuring a diffraction pattern of a second probe laser... 

In 1971, Eichler, et al of the I. Physikalisches Institut der Technischen Universitat Berlin, reported the first detection of a transient grating. They used a ruby laser to produce a thermal refractive index grating in dye-containing methanol. In 1972, they reported additional measurements, including the time decay of the grating due to thermal diffusion, on a time scale of 1 ms. 

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