Maximum-efficiency transmission grating profiles for metals in the soft X-ray range

Abstract

In this paper, we derive the thickness profiles of metallic planar transmission gratings in the soft X-ray range which maximize the output/input and output/output intensity ratios I (m) I IN and I (m) I OUT , where I ( m) is the mth diffracted order intensity. The analysis is valid for all cases where the complex index of refraction n ̂ is a general function of position in a direction perpendicular both to the light and to the grating bars. Examples of some optimum profiles for gold are tabulated for convenient reference.