Bound states of nonlinear Dirac equations on periodic quantum graphs

Abstract

We study nonlinear Dirac equations (NLDE) on periodic quantum graphs endowed with Kirchhoff-type vertex conditions. Our main goal is to establish existence and multiplicity of bound states, which arise as critical points of the associated NLDE action functional. The underlying Dirac operator has a spectral gap around the origin, so the corresponding functional is strongly indefinite, and in addition the Palais--Smale condition fails due to the noncompactness and the periodic structure of the graph. To overcome these difficulties, we combine the spectral properties of the periodic Dirac operator with critical point theorems for strongly indefinite functionals and a concentration--compactness analysis adapted to periodic quantum graphs, and derive existence and multiplicity results for bound states with frequencies lying in the spectral gap.