Anderson localization for Schrödinger operators on \(\mathbb Z\) with potentials given by the skew-shift (Q5953636)

In this paper some regularity properties of the integrated density of states for the discrete \(\mathbb{Z}^2\)-model \[ H= -\Delta_{\mathbb{Z}^2}+\lambda V(\Theta_1+ n_1\omega_1,\Theta_2+ n_2\omega_2), \] for large \(\lambda\) are established. This continues recent work by \textit{J. Bourgain}, \textit{M. Goldstein} and the authors in Acta Math. 188, No.1, 41-86 (2002; Zbl 1022.47023). It was expected there that the integrated density of states has better regularity properties than could be proved by the method used there. Motivated by a success of \textit{W. Craig} and \textit{B. Simon} [ibid. 90, 207-218 (1983; Zbl 0532.60057)] to use the Thouless formula to prove Hölder continuity the authors show that \(\int\log|E-E'|dk(E')\) is a limit of determinants. Convergence rates, and a large deviation theorem for the determinants are obtained. Under the assumption of large disorder regularity, properties for the integrated density of states are derived. The Hamiltonian \[ H_{\omega(x,y)}= -\psi_{n+1}- \psi_{n-1}+ (v\circ T^n_\omega(x, y))\psi_n, \] where \(T_\omega(x, y):= (x+ y,y+\omega)(\text{mod }1)\) with \(\omega\) a Diophantine number is the skew shift on \(\mathbb{T}^2\), \(v\) being a real analytic function on \(\mathbb{T}^2\), is investigated. The authors show that for a given \(v_0\) and \(\omega> 0\) there is a set \(\Omega_\varepsilon\in\mathbb{T}\) with \(\text{meas}(\mathbb{T}^1\setminus \widetilde\Omega_\varepsilon)< \varepsilon\), and a constant \(\lambda_0\) such that for \(v= \lambda v_0\), \(\lambda\geq \lambda_0\) the Hamiltonian has the following three properties: (1) The Lyapunov exponent is positive for any of its eigenvalues \(E\). (2) The so-called integrated state density, i.e. the number of eigenstates with eigenvalues smaller than a given one \(E\), is continuous with the same modulus of continuity, the latter being calculated explicitly. These two results are obtained in the second section of the paper by 6 steps exploiting properties of the subharmonic functions with small BMO-norms, their averages over orbits of the skew shift, the large deviation theorem, and considerations about large disorder. The third property, (3), is the Anderson localization, i.e. there is an \(\widetilde\Omega_\varepsilon\subseteq \mathbb{T}^2\), \(\text{meas}(\mathbb{T}^2\setminus \widetilde\Omega_\varepsilon)< \varepsilon\) such that for all \((x,y)\in \widetilde\Omega_\varepsilon\) the Hamiltonian has pure point spectrum and the eigenfunctions are decaying exponentially. This is proved in section three by five steps, involving: an estimate on the number of lattice points to form a small set of bounded complexity, an estimate on the number of times a generic orbit of the skew shift hits such a small set, averaging the monodromy matrix over long orbits, showing up the small probability for double resonances, considerations about large disorder.