title: Kapitza-Dirac diffraction without standing waves: diffraction without a grating?
abstract: We discuss electron diffraction from two counterpropagating light waves with two different frequencies. We show that, even though these waves do not form a standing wave, electron diffraction similar to the conventional Kapitza-Dirac effect, i.e., scattering on a standing wave, is still possible. The nonlinear response of the electron to the laser fields creates a stationary diffraction grating from which the same electron scatters.
authors.affiliation: Photonics Institute, Vienna Technical University, Gusshausstrasse 27/387, A-1040 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Smirnova
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Freimund
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Batelaan
authors.forename: Misha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivanov