In this contribution we analyse the possibility of generating a grating structure in a plasma surface through the interaction of two crossed laser beams. We present one-dimensional particle-in-cell calculations that show that surface electron-density fringes can be induced by the beams if they ares-polarised. Finally, we give approximated analytical expressions for the time-averaged electron density which enclose information about the fringe width and maximum and minimum electron densities (i.e. fringe “visibility”). ©1998 American Institute of Physics.