Homogeneity of the spectrum for quasi-periodic Schrödinger operators (Q1630638)

Summary: We consider the one-dimensional discrete Schrödinger operator \[ [H(x,\omega)\varphi](n)\equiv -\varphi(n-1)-\varphi(n+1) + V(x + n\omega)\varphi(n), \] \(n \in \mathbb{Z}\), \(x,\omega \in [0, 1]\) with real-analytic potential \(V(x)\). Assume \(L(E,\omega)>0\) for all \(E\). Let \(\mathcal{S}_\omega\) be the spectrum of \(H(x,\omega)\). For all \(\omega\) obeying the Diophantine condition \(\omega \in \mathbb{T}_{c,a}\), we show the following: if \(\mathcal{S}_\omega \cap (E^\prime,E^{\prime\prime})\neq \emptyset\), then \(\mathcal{S}_\omega \cap (E^\prime,E^{\prime\prime})\) is homogeneous in the sense of \textit{L. Carleson} [in: Conference on harmonic analysis in honor of Antoni Zygmund. Vol. 2. 349--372 (1983; Zbl 0527.46048)]. Furthermore, we prove, that if \(G_i\), \(i=1,2\) are two gaps with \(1 > |G_1| \geq |G_2|\), then \(|G_2|\lesssim \exp(-(\log \mathrm{dist} (G_1,G_2))^A)\), \(A \gg 1\). Moreover, the same estimates hold for the gaps in the spectrum on a finite interval, that is, for \(\mathcal{S}_{N,\omega}:=\bigcup_{x\in\mathbb{T}}\mathrm{ spec } H_{[-N,N]}(x,\omega)\), \(N \geq 1 \), where \(H_{[-N, N]}(x, \omega)\) is the Schrödinger operator restricted to the interval \([-N,N]\) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. In particular, all these results hold for the almost Mathieu operator with \(|\lambda| \neq 1\). For the supercritical almost Mathieu operator, we combine the methods of the second and the third author [Geom. Funct. Anal. 18, No. 3, 755--869 (2008; Zbl 1171.82011)] with \textit{S. Ya. Jitomirskaya}'s approach [Ann. Math. (2) 150, No. 3, 1159--1175 (1999; Zbl 0946.47018)] to establish most of the results from [the second and the third author, loc. cit.] with \(\omega\) obeying a strong Diophantine condition.