Imaginary modules arising from tensor products of snake modules

Motivated by the limitations of cluster algebra techniques in detecting imaginary modules, we build on the representation-theoretic framework developed by the first author and Chari to extend the construction of such modules beyond previously known cases, which arise from the tensor product of a higher-order Kirillov--Reshetikhin module and its dual. Our first main result gives an explicit description of the socle of tensor products of two snake modules, assuming the corresponding snakes form a covering pair of ladders. By considering a higher-order generalization of the covering relation, we describe a sequence of inclusions of highest-$\ell$-weight submodules of such tensor products. We conjecture all the quotients of subsequent modules in this chain of inclusions are simple and imaginary, except for the socle itself, which might be real. We prove the first such quotient is indeed simple and, assuming an extra mild condition, we also prove it is imaginary, thus giving rise to new classes of imaginary modules within the category of finite-dimensional representations of quantum loop algebras in type A.