Multiple nodal solutions having shared componentwise nodal numbers for coupled Schr\"{o}dinger equations

Abstract

We investigate the structure of nodal solutions for coupled nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equations in the repulsive coupling regime. Among other results, for the following coupled system of $N$ equations, we prove the existence of infinitely many nodal solutions which share the same componentwise-prescribed nodal numbers \begin{equation}\label{ab} \left\{ \begin{array}{lr} -{\Delta}u_{j}+\lambda u_{j}=\mu u^{3}_{j}+\sum_{i\neq j}\beta u_{j}u_{i}^{2} \,\,\,\,\,\,\, in\ \W , u_{j}\in H_{0,r}^{1}(\W), \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,j=1,\dots,N, \end{array} \right. \end{equation} where $\W$ is a radial domain in $\mathbb R^n$ for $n\leq 3$, $\lambda>0$, $\mu>0$, and $\beta <0$. More precisely, let $p$ be a prime factor of $N$ and write $N=pB$. Suppose $\beta\leq-\frac{\mu}{p-1}$. Then for any given non-negative integers $P_{1},P_{2},\dots,P_{B}$, (\ref{ab}) has infinitely many solutions $(u_{1},\dots,u_{N})$ such that each of these solutions satisfies the same property: for $b=1,...,B$, $u_{pb-p+i}$ changes sign precisely $P_b$ times for $i=1,...,p$. The result reveals the complex nature of the solution structure in the repulsive coupling regime due to componentwise segregation of solutions. Our method is to combine a heat flow approach as deformation with a minimax construction of the symmetric mountain pass theorem using a $\mathbb Z_p$ group action index. Our method is robust, also allowing to give the existence of one solution without assuming any symmetry of the coupling.