On-blaze operation of a Mo/Si multilayer-coated, concave diffraction grating in the 136-142-A wavelength region and near normal incidence.

The efficiency and resolving power of a concave, 2400-groove/mm, blazed diffraction grating that had a Mo/Si multilayer coating were determined. The multilayer coating had a peak reflectance of 55% at 140-A near normal incidence. The efficiency of the multilayer grating for wavelengths in the 136-139-A range was 2% near normal incidence. This efficiency was a factor of 150 greater than the efficiency of a sister replica Au-coated grating in the same wavelength region. The resolving power of the multilayercoated grating in the third order of a V viii transition with a first-order wavelength of 140.451 A was 9100. Comparisons with the Au-coated grating indicated that the application of the multilayer coating did not affect the resolving power or the blaze angle.