Optical spatial solitons in soft matter

We predict that spatial self-trapping of light can occur in soft matter encompassing a wide class of new materials such as colloids, foams, gels, fractal aggregates, etc. We develop a general nonlocal theory that allows one to relate the properties of the trapped state of Maxwell equations to the measurable static structure factor of the specific material. We give numerical evidence for stable trapping in fractal aggregates and suggest also the possibility of soliton spectroscopy of soft matter.