Value distribution and spectral theory of Schrödinger operators with \(L ^{2}\)-sparse potentials (Q1860448)

The authors consider 1D Schrödinger operators \(H=-{d}^2/{d}x^2\) on \({L}^2([0,+\infty[)\), where \(V\) is an \({L}^2\) sparse potential, namely a potential for which the \({L}^2\) norm of \(V\) vanishes on arbitrary long intervals: for all \(N,\delta>0\), there exists \([a,b]\subset[0,+\infty[\) s.t. \(\int_a^b | V(x)| ^2 {d}x < \delta\). They apply methods of value distribution to the spectral theory of such operators, in the sequel of [\textit{S. V. Breimesser} and \textit{D. B. Pearson}, Math. Phys. Anal. Geom. 3, No. 4, 385--403 (2000; Zbl 1016.47033)]. As an application, they show that the a.c. spectrum of such an operator (if any) is contained in \(\mathbb{R}^+\). Let \(F_+:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}^+\) be measurable. The map \(\mathcal{M}(A,S)=| A\cap F_+^{-1}(S)| \), with \(A,S\) Borel subsets of \(\mathbb{R}\), is called its value distribution. If, in particular, \(F_+\) is the almost everywhere boundary value of a Herglotz function \(F\) (i.e., \(F\) analytic on \(\text{Im}z>0\), and \(\text{Im}F(z)>0\)) then the value distribution of \(F_+\), \(\mathcal{M}(A,S)\), is related to the average on \(A\) of the angle \(\theta(F(z),S)\), subtended at \(F(z)\), \(\text{Im}z>0\), by \(S\): one has \(\mathcal{M}(A,S)= \lim_{\varepsilon\to 0^+} \frac1\pi \int_A \theta(F(\lambda+i\varepsilon),S){d}\lambda\). The main technical result of the article under review reads as follows. Let \((a_k,b_k)\subset[0,+\infty[\) be a sequence of intervals with length increasing to infinity, and \(\int_{a_k}^{b_k} | V(x)| ^2 {d}x\to 0\) as \(k\to\infty\). Let \(m^{a_k}(z)\) be the Weyl function for the truncated problem on \([a_k,\infty[\), and \(v(\cdot,z)\) be the solution of the eigenvalue equation \(Hu=zu\) with initial condition \(v(0,z)=0\) and \(v'(0,z)=1\). The authors provide the asymptotic limit of the value ditribution of both \(m^{a_k}_+\) and \(v'(b_k,\lambda)/v(b_k,\lambda)\). More precisely, if \(A,S\) are Borel subsets of \(\mathbb{R}\), with \(| A| <\infty\), they show that \[ \lim_{k\to\infty} \frac1\pi\int_A \theta(m^{a_k}_+(\lambda),S){d}\lambda = \frac1\pi\int_A \theta(i\sqrt{\lambda},S){d}\lambda, \] and, setting \(F_+^{(b_k)}(\lambda)=v'(b_k,\lambda)/v(b_k,\lambda)\) and denoting by \(\mathcal{M}^{(b_k)}\) its distribution value, \[ \lim_{k\to\infty} \mathcal{M}^{(b_k)}(A,S) = \frac1\pi\int_A \theta(i\sqrt{\lambda},-S){d}\lambda. \] On the other hand, it has been shown in [loc. cit.] that if \(A\) is a subset of the essential support of the a.c. spectrum, then \[ \lim_{k\to\infty} \left( \mathcal{M}^{(c_k)}(A,S) - \frac1\pi\int_A \theta(m^{c_k}_+(\lambda),S){d}\lambda \right) = 0, \] where \(c_k\) is the middle point of \((a_k,b_k)\). To get the above mentioned result on the a.c. spectrum of the \({L}^2\) sparse Schrödinger operator \(H\), it is enough to assume \(A\subset\mathbb{R}^-\) (thus \(i\sqrt{\lambda}\in\mathbb{R}^-\) if \(\lambda\in A\)) and \(S\subset\mathbb{R}^-\) to get a contradiction.