  We experimentally demonstrate the broad tunability of the main features of
optical localized structures (LS) in a nonlinear interferometer. By discussing
how a single LS depends on the system spatial frequency bandwidth, we show that
a modification of its tail leads to the possibility of tuning the interactions
between LS pairs, and thus the equilibrium distances at which LS bound states
form. This is in agreement with a general theoretical model describing weak
interactions of LS in nonlinear dissipative systems.

Pattern Formation and Solitons