A ferroelectric liquid crystal grating is investigated. Diffraction behavior is analyzed on the basis of a model where the birefringent grating generated in the ferroelectric liquid crystal layer acts as an absorption/phase hybrid grating. Light diffraction is observed by using an optically addressed spatial light modulator that contains a photoconductive film and a ferroelectric liquid crystal. We find some disagreement between the simulation and experimental results. The errors are found to be caused by the incomplete bistability of the ferroelectric liquid crystal.