Positive Lyapunov exponents for a class of ergodic Schrödinger operators (Q1328226)

Consider the finite difference Schrödinger equation \[ -(\psi_{j + 1} + \psi_{j - 1}) + v_ j(\omega) \psi_ j = E\psi_ j, \] where \(\{v_ j(\omega) : \omega \in \Omega\}\), \(j \in \mathbb{Z}\), is an ergodic potential. Denote by \(\gamma(E)\) the Lyapunov exponent. The following result is proved. Suppose there are \(\zeta > 2\) and positive integers \(l\) and \(L\) such that for almost every \(\omega\) there exists a sequence of disjoint intervals \(J_ n \subset \mathbb{Z}\) with \(| J_ n| \geq l\), \(n \in \mathbb{N}\), and the distance between any two adjacent intervals not exceeding \(L\), such that \(| v_ j(\omega) - E| \geq \zeta\) for all \(j \in \bigcup_{n\in \mathbb{N}} J_ n\) and for all \(E \in \mathbb{R}\). Then there exist positive constants \(\beta\) and \(B\) such that \(\text{meas}\{E \in \mathbb{R}: \gamma(E) = 0\} \leq B\text{e}^{-\beta l}\), where `meas' denotes Lebesgue measure.