The Dirac operator with mass \(m_0 \geq 0\): non-existence of zero modes and of threshold eigenvalues (Q2339181)

The paper under review deals with the Dirac operator with mass \(m_0\geq 0\) \[ \alpha\cdot (p-b) + m_0\beta + Q \equiv \sum_{j=1}^n \alpha_j\cdot (-i\partial_j-b_j) + m_0\beta + Q \] in \(L^2({\mathbb R}^n)^N \equiv L^2({\mathbb R}^n; {\mathbb C}^N)\) with \(n\geq 2\) and \(N:= 2^{[\tfrac{n+1}{2}]}\), \(([\tfrac{n+1}{2}] = \tfrac{n+1}{2} (n: \text{odd});\, = \tfrac{n}{2} (n: \text{even}))\), where \(\alpha_1\), \(\alpha_2, \dots, \alpha_n\), \(\beta :=\alpha_{n+1}\) are \(n+1\) anti-commuting Hermitian \(N\times N\) matrices whose squares are equal to one. Furthermore, \(b := (b_1,b_2,\dots, b_n)\) is a vector potential/real vector-valued \(C^1\) function and \(Q\) is -- rather than a scalar potential/scalar-valued function -- an \(N\times N\) matrix-valued function in \({\mathbb R}^n\) with measurable entry elements. Then, the authors do detailed analysis in order to study with what conditions on \(Q\) the Dirac operator has no zero modes, i.e., the Dirac equation has no nontrivial \(L^2\) solutions, globally in \({\mathbb R}^n\) or locally at infinity, when \(m_0=0\) or \(m_0>0\). The main results are broadly the following. 1. In the massless case (\(m_0=0\)) without vector potential (\(b=0\)), a global condition on \(Q\) is obtained. Namely, if \(\sup_{x\in {\mathbb R}^n} |x||Q(x)| \leq C\) for some constant \(0< C < \frac{n-1}2\), then any solution \(u \in H^1_{\mathrm {loc}}({\mathbb R}^n)^N \cap L^2({\mathbb R}^n, |x|^{-1}d|x|)^N\) of the Dirac equation \((\alpha\cdot p + Q) u =0\) vanishes identically. This restriction of the constant \(C\) may be compared with the result by \textit{M. Loss} and \textit{H.-T. Yau} [Commun. Math. Phys. 104, 283--290 (1986; Zbl 0607.35083)] that for \(n\geq 3\), with \(Q(x) = -\frac{n}{1+|x|^2}\), there exists a zero mode \(u(x) =\frac{1+i\alpha\cdot x}{(1+|x|^2)^{n/2}}\phi\) with \(\phi \in {\mathbb C}^N\setminus \{0\}\). As a local condition on \(Q\) at infinity, for instance, roughly if \(Q\) is very slowly varying or decaying like \(|x|^{-s}\) in \(|x|>R\) for large \(R>0\) with \(0<s<1\), it is shown that for the energy zero, any \(L^2\) solution \(u\) in \(|x|>R\) of the Dirac equation \([\alpha\cdot (p-b) + Q]u=0\) with vector potential \(b\) vanishes identically. 2. In the massive case (\(m_0>0\)), also as a local condition on \(Q\) at infinity, roughly if \(Q=V\) is a scalar potential decaying in \(|x|>R\) for large \(R>0\) at most like \(|x|^{-s}\) with \(0<s<2\), it is shown that for the threshold energies \(\pm m_0\), any solution \(u\) in \(|x|>R\) of the Dirac equation \([\alpha\cdot (p-b) + m_0\beta + V]u= \pm m_0 u\) vanishes identically.