Self-trapping and skin solitons in two-dimensional non-Hermitian lattices

Two-dimensional non-Hermitian photonic lattices with asymmetric couplings offer rich possibilities for controlling wave localization, through the emergence of the non-Hermitian skin effect at lattice corners or sides. Yet, how optical nonlinearity modifies these boundary-localization characteristics remains largely unexplored. Here we show that in a two-dimensional Hatano-Nelson lattice with Kerr nonlinearity, the interplay between self-trapping and directional propagation leads to position-dependent amplitude thresholds. Single-site excitations having above a critical amplitude become confined to their initial position, with lower thresholds near the position where the linear eigenmodes are localized and…

• SN
  Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
• SN
  Stavros Niarchos Foundation
• UO
  University of Crete
• HF
  Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation

  Award: 11496