Semiclassical analysis of low lying eigenvalues. II: Tunneling (Q580596)

[For Part I see Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré, Sect. A 38, 295-308 (1983; Zbl 0526.35027).] The author discusses the asymptotics of the eigenvalue splitting of the Schrödinger operator \(-\Delta +\lambda^ 2V\) in the quasiclassical limit. The main result is that for the difference of the two first eigenvalues the following formula holds \[ \lim_{\lambda \to \infty}- \lambda^{-1} \ell n[E_ 1(\lambda)-E_ 0(\lambda)]=\rho (a,b), \] where \(\rho\) (a,b) is the Agmon metric between the zeros a,b of the otherwise nonnegative potential fulfilling certain additional properties; in particular V does not vanish at infinity. The result is obtained via certain decay properties of the corresponding eigenfunctions. Two alternative proofs are presented, one using Brownian motion, the other one using PDE techniques.