Probabilistic representation and fall-off of bound states of relativistic Schrödinger operators with spin 1/2 (Q1946994)

The authors consider a functional integral representation of the strongly continuous one-parameter semigroup generated by the relativistic Schrödinger operator \(H\) with spin 1/2 in three-dimensional space \[ H=\sqrt{\sigma\cdot(p-a)^2+m^2}-m+V, \] where \(m\) is the mass of the relativistic particle, the vector potential \(a = (a_1; a_2; a_3)\) is a vector-valued function \(a\in \left(L^2_{\mathrm{loc}}({\mathbb R}^3)\right)^3\), \(\nabla\cdot a\in L^1_{\mathrm{loc}}({\mathbb R}^3)\), \(\sigma = (\sigma_1; \sigma_2; \sigma_3)\) are the \(2\times 2\) Pauli matrices describing spin 1/2, the potential \(V = V_+ -V_-\) is such that \(V_+\in L^1_{\mathrm{loc}}({\mathbb R}^3)\) and \(V_-\) is relatively form bounded with respect to \(\sqrt{-\Delta+m^2}\) with a relative bound strictly less than 1. The main result of the paper under review is a Feynman-Kac type formula for the operator \(H\). This formula is given in terms of a three-component process consisting of a Brownian motion, a Poisson process and a subordinator. From this formula, an energy comparison inequality is derived. Spatial exponential decay of bound states of the operator \(H\) is established by using martingale methods.