Enhanced diode-like operation mediated by an asymmetric non-Hermitian and nonlinear defect

In this work we study the nonreciprocal transport along two tight-binding chains which are connected by a single defect having an asymmetric non-Hermitian nonlinear off-diagonal coupling. The spectrum of transmission and reflection, the gain curve and the rectifying factor are analytically obtained using a backward iterative process. A set of discrete linear Schroedinger equations is used to model the wave propagation through the two Hermitian side chains, while a discrete nonlinear Ablowitz-Ladik equation governs their coupling by the single defect. We show that the emergence of a multistability window induced by the non-linear contribution, together with the biased transport promoted by a parity-breaking non-Hermiticity, generates an efficient rectification of the transmitted wave component.