Nonlinear diffraction from a virtual beam

We observe experimentally a novel type of nonlinear diffraction in the process of two-wave mixing on a nonlinear quadratic grating.We demonstrate that when the nonlinear grating is illuminated simultaneously by two noncollinear beams, a second-harmonic diffraction pattern is generated by a virtual beam propagating along the bisector of the two pump beams. The observed iffraction phenomena is a purely nonlinear effect that has no analogue in linear diffraction