Absolutely continuous spectra for matrix Dirac systems (Q2575031)

The authors investigate the matrix Dirac system \[ y_{1}' = (\lambda +1) y_{2} - q(x)y_{2}, \qquad y_{2}' = - (\lambda -1) y_{2} + q(x)y_{2},\tag{1} \] on the half-line \([0,\infty)\), where \(y_{j}\) are \(n\)-dimensional functions, \(q(x)\) is a real-valued Hermitian \(n\times n\)-matrix with locally integrable entries and \(\lambda\in {\mathbb C}\). Some additional assumptions concerning the matrix \(q(x)\) are made: Given the eigenvalues \(\lambda_{j}(x)\), \(j=1,\ldots,n\), sorted in increasing order, one defines \(\lambda_{j}^{+}(q)=\limsup_{x\to\infty}\lambda_{j}(x)\) and \(\lambda_{j}^{-}(q)=\liminf_{x\to\infty}\lambda_{j}(x)\) and assumes that the intervals \((\lambda_{j-1}^{+}+1, \lambda_{j}^{-1}-1)\) are nonempty. The matrix \(q\) is to be invertible and the entries of \(q^{-1}\) are locally of bounded variation. The diagonal entries \(q^{-1}_{jj}\) are of finite positive variation and the offdiagonal entries \(q_{jk}^{-1}\), \(j\neq k\), are of finite negative variation on \([0,\infty)\). Under these assumptions, the authors show that the spectrum in the interval \((\lambda_{j-1}^{+}+1,\lambda_{j}^{-1}-1)\) is absolutely continuous. The proof is based on the reformulation of problem (1) into a \(2n\)-dimensional linear Hamiltonian system and using results on matrix-valued Herglotz functions by \textit{S. Clark} [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 151, No. 1, 108--128 (1990; Zbl 0735.34067)] and \textit{D. B. Hinton} and \textit{J.-K. Shaw} [Quaest. Math. 5, 29--81 (1982; Zbl 0509.34018)] relating properties of the matrix-valued measure in the Herglotz representation with the spectral type of the operator.