Discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation with arbitrary nonlocality: Linear stability analysis and localized solution

The modulational instability of a plane wave for a discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation with arbitrary nonlocality is analyzed. This model describes light propagation in a thin film planar waveguide arrays of nematic liquid crystals subjected to a periodic transverse modulation by a low frequency electric field. It is shown that nonlocality can both suppress and promote the growth rate and bandwidth of instability, depending on the type of a response function of a discrete medium. A solitary wave (breather-like) solution is built by the variational approximation and its stability is demonstrated.