Discrete solitary waves in systems with nonlocal interactions and the Peierls-Nabarro barrier (Q521138)

In this paper, the authors obtain bifurcation results for a broad class of discrete nonlinear and nonlocal Schrödinger equations (DNLS) of the type \[ -i\partial_t u_n = -(\mathcal{L} u)_n -|u_n|^2u_n, \quad n\in\mathbb{Z},\quad t\geq 0, \] where the nonlocal operator \(\mathcal{L}\) is given by \((\mathcal{L}u)_n=\sum\limits_{m\in\mathbb{Z}}J_{|m-n|}(u_m-u_n)\) and the coupling sequence \((J_m)_m\) either has polynomial decay: \(J_m\sim m^{-1-2s}\) with \(\frac{1}{4} < s < \infty\) or exponential decay: \(J_m\sim e^{-\gamma m}\), \(\gamma>0\). In each case, the authors prove the existence of families of stationary standing waves, i.e., solutions of the form \(u_n=e^{i\omega t}G_n\), \(n\in\mathbb{Z}\), bifurcating in the long-wave limit \(\omega\to 0^-\) from the zero solution. Moreover, it is shown that, after translation and rescaling, these solutions converge to the ground state solution of the (continuous) fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equation (FNLS) \[ (-\Delta)^p\psi+\psi=\psi^3, \quad x\in\mathbb{R}, \] where \(p=\min\{1,s\}\). The authors obtain bifurcating families which are \textit{onsite symmetric}, i.e., \(G_n=G_{-n}\) for all \(n\), and \textit{offsite symmetric}, i.e., \(G_n=G_{-n+1}\) for all \(n\). For the proof, the stationary (DNLS) equation is first transformed using the discrete Fourier transformation and a suitable rescaling. Using a Lyapunov-Schmidt type reduction which yields a closed system of equations, the authors then relate the solution of (DNLS) to the ground state of (FNLS) by an implicit function argument. A rigorous asymptotic expansion of the solution to (DNLS) with respect to the bifurcation parameter is derived, and the recent nondegeneracy result in [\textit{R. Frank} et al., Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 69, No. 9, 1671--1726 (2016; Zbl 1365.35206)] on the ground state of (FNLS) plays a key role in the application of the implicit function theorem. The second main result of the paper gives an exponential decay bound on the Peirels-Nabarro barrier in terms of the bifurcation parameter. The authors also mention several possible extensions of their results.