Purely Infinite, Simple $C^*$-Algebras Arising from Free Product Constructions, II (Q4429902)

The aim of this paper is to give sufficient conditions under which the reduced free product of two unital \(C^*\)-algebras is simple and purely infinite. This is achieved in Theorem 3.1 as follows: Let \(A\) and \(B\) be unital \(C^*\)-algebras endowed with faithful states \(\phi_A\) and \(\phi_B\), denote by \(({\mathcal{A}},\phi)\) the reduced free product of \((A,\phi_A)\) and \((B,\phi_B)\), and suppose that \(A\) contains a partial isometry \(v\) with range projection \(q=vv^*\) and domain projection \(p=v^*v\) with the following properties: (i) \(pq=0\) and \(p+q\) is full in \({\mathcal{A}}\); (ii) \(\exists\;0<\lambda <1\) such that \(\phi_A(vx)=\lambda \phi_A(xv)\), \(\forall x\in A\); (iii) \(q\) is Murray-von Neumann equivalent in the centralizer of the restriction of \(\phi\) to \({\mathcal{A}}_{00}=C^*\Big(B\cup \big( {\mathbb C}p+{\mathbb C}q+(1-p-q)A(1-p-q)\big) \Big)\) to a subprojection of \(p\); (iv) the centralizer of the restriction of \(\phi\) to \(q{\mathcal{A}}_{00}q\) contains an abelian subalgebra on which \(\phi\) is diffuse. Then the \(C^*\)-algebra \({\mathcal{A}}\) is simple and purely infinite. The proof builds upon techniques previously developed in [\textit{K. J. Dykema}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 351, 1-40 (1999; Zbl 0908.46037)] and Part I [\textit{K. J. Dykema} and \textit{M. Rørdam}, Canad. J. Math. 50, 323-341 (1998; Zbl 0919.46040)], making use of Cuntz's comparison theory for positive elements in \(C^*\)-algebras. Finally, it is shown that the hypotheses of this theorem apply to the following three concrete situations (\(h_\lambda\) denotes the diagonal operator with eigenvalues \((1+\lambda)^{-1}\) and \(\lambda (1+\lambda)^{-1}\), and \(\psi_\lambda =\text{Tr}_2 (\cdot h_\lambda)\),\quad \(0<\lambda \leq 1\)): (i) \(A=B=M_2 ({\mathbb C})\), \(\phi_A =\psi_\lambda\), \(\phi_B=\psi_\mu\), \(0<\lambda \neq \mu \leq 1\); (ii) \(A=M_2 ({\mathbb C})\), \(B=C([0,1])\), \(\phi_A=\psi_\lambda\), \(\phi_B =\int dt\),\quad \(0<\lambda <1\); (iii) \(A=A_1 \otimes F\), \(\phi_A=\phi_{A_1} \otimes \phi_F\) with \(A_1, \phi_{A_1},B,\phi_B\) arbitrary and \(F\) finite dimensional such that \(\phi_F\) is a nontracial faithful state on \(F\) and the centralizer of \(\phi_B\) contains a unital abelian \(C^*\)-subalgebra on which \(\phi_B\) is diffuse.