Tunable front interaction and localization of periodically forced waves

In systems that exhibit a bistability between nonlinear traveling waves and the basic state, pairs of fronts connecting these two states can form localized wave pulses whose stability depends on the interaction between the fronts. We investigate wave pulses within the framework of coupled Ginzburg-Landau equations describing the traveling-wave amplitudes. We find that the introduction of resonant temporal forcing results in a tunable mechanism for stabilizing such wave pulses. In contrast to other localization mechanisms the temporal forcing can achieve localization by a repulsive as well as by an attractive interaction between the fronts. Systems for which the results are expected to be relevant include binary-mixture convection and electroconvection in nematic liquid crystals.