Finite difference scheme for two-dimensional periodic nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations

Abstract

A nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NLS) on a periodic box can be discretized as a discrete nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (DNLS) on a periodic cubic lattice, which is a system of finitely many ordinary differential equations. We show that in two spatial dimensions, solutions to the DNLS converge strongly in $L^2$ to those of the NLS as the grid size $h>0$ approaches zero. As a result, the effectiveness of the finite difference method (FDM) is justified for the two-dimensional periodic NLS.