title: Optical modulational instability in a nonlocal medium.
abstract: We report the first observation of modulational instability in nematic liquid crystals encompassing a nonlocal behavior. The experimental results are quantitatively compared with the theory revealing the fundamental features associated to a nonlocal nonlinearity.
authors.affiliation: NOOEL-Nonlinear Optics and Optoelectronics Laboratory, National Institute for the Physics of Matter, INFM-Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peccianti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assanto