Multiplicities of the eigenvalues of periodic Dirac operators (Q1763960): Difference between revisions

The paper is devoted to the study of the spectrum of the one-dimensional Dirac operator \(L=iJ{d\over{dx}}+U\), \[ J= \left(\begin{matrix} 1& 0 \\ 0& -1 \end{matrix} \right), \] with cosine potential \[ U= \left(\begin{matrix} 0& a\cos{2 \pi x} \\ a\cos{2 \pi x}& 0 \end{matrix} \right), \] \(a\) real, \(a\neq{0}\), on \(I=[0,1]\) with periodic (\(F(1)=F(0)\)) or antiperiodic (\(F(1)=-F(0)\)) boundary conditions. The main result of the paper states that in case of periodic boundary conditions, the spectrum contains only eigenvalues with multiplicity \(2\), while in case of antiperiodic boundary conditions, all eigenvalues are simple. A similar result was proved in the authors' paper [Lett. Math. Phys. 65, 95--108 (2003; Zbl 1046.34096)], but only for the eigenvalues which are not to close to the origin, depending on the value of \(a\). The authors prove first that the operator \(L=iJ{d\over{dx}}+V\), \[ V= \left(\begin{matrix} 0& p \\ \overline{p}& 0 \end{matrix} \right), \] \(p(x)=a(1+e^{2 \pi ix})\), has only simple eigenvalues for both types of boundary conditions. By using this result and analysing the change of the spectrum under the transformation of potentials they prove the main theorem. Another result establishes a link between the spectrum of Dirac operators and Hill operators. One proves that if \(L=iJ{d\over{dx}}+V\), \[ V= \left(\begin{matrix} 0& p \\ p& 0 \end{matrix} \right), \] \(p\) real and if \(h^{\pm}\) are the Hill operators with potential \(p^{2}\pm p'\), then the spectrum of \(h^{\pm}\) is equal with the spectrum of \(L^{2}\) (if \(L\) has periodic (antiperiodic) boundary conditions, then \(h^{\pm}\) should have also periodic (antiperiodic) boundary conditions). This allows one to transfer results on spectral gaps for Hill operators to the case of Dirac operators.