title: Diffraction properties of optical localized structures.
abstract: The propagation properties of transverse localized structures are studied experimentally and numerically, showing that their free-space behavior is determined by the features acquired during the nonlinear light-matter interaction at their origin. For a Kerr-like nonlinearity in the optical loop, localized structures show a focalization followed by the formation of a local minimum of the intensity, these features reappearing outside the loop in the near-field region of their free-space propagation.
authors.affiliation: Institut Non Linéaire de Nice, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, Valbonne, France. umberto.bortolozzo@inln.cnrs.fr
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bortolozzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haudin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Residori