Modulational Instability and Dynamical Growth Blockade in the Nonlinear Hatano–Nelson Model

The Hatano–Nelson model is a cornerstone of non-Hermitian physics, describing asymmetric hopping dynamics on a 1D lattice, which gives rise to fascinating phenomena such as directional transport, non-Hermitian topology, and the non-Hermitian skin effect. It has been widely studied in both classical and quantum systems, with applications in condensed matter physics, photonics, and cold atomic gases. Recently, nonlinear extensions of the Hatano–Nelson model have opened a new avenue for exploring the interplay between nonlinearity and non-Hermitian effects. Particularly, in lattices with open boundary conditions, nonlinear skin modes and solitons, localized at the edge or within the bulk of the lattice, have been predicted. In this work, the nonlinear extension of the Hatano–Nelson model with periodic boundary conditions is examined and a novel dynamical phenomenon arising from the modulational instability of nonlinear plane waves: growth blockade is revealed. This phenomenon is characterized by the abrupt halt of norm growth, as observed in the linear Hatano–Nelson model, and can be interpreted as a stopping of convective motion arising from self-induced disorder in the lattice.