Multiple cylindrical TM-modes for a homogeneous, self-focusing dielectric (Q678045)

Waves with cylindrical symmetry are considered in a homogeneous dielectric medium (of ``self-focusing'' type) governed by Maxwell's equations. The problem reduces to a nonlinear boundary value problem that is formulated as a variational problem of minima of a functional. The latter problem was considered by \textit{Ch. A. Stuart} [Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 6, No. 7, 977-1008 (1996)] who established the existence of a nonnegative solution to the problem. The author states conditions under which there exists a solution to the variational problem that has \(n\) zeroes on \((0,\infty)\).