On the spectrum and Lyapunov exponent of limit periodic Schrödinger operators (Q842483)

The author studies discrete one-dimensional limit-periodic Schrödinger operators on \(\ell^2({\mathbb Z})\) given by \((Hu)_n=u_{n+1}+u_{n-1}+V_\omega(n)u_n\), where \(\omega\) belongs to a probability space \(\Omega\) with ergodic probability measure \(\mu\). It is proved that, for a dense set of limit-periodic potentials, the spectrum of such an operator has zero Lebesgue measure and the Lyapunov exponent is positive throughout the spectrum. This disproves a conjecture raised by \textit{B.\,Simon} [cf.\ Conjecture 8.7 in Inverse Probl.\ Imaging 1, No.\,4, 713--772 (2007; Zbl 1149.31004)]. The proof is based on a new look at the limit-periodic potentials. The key observation of this new approach is that a study of limit-periodic potentials can be carried out by considering potentials of the form \(f(T^n(\omega))\), where \(T: \Omega \to \Omega\) is a minimal translation of a Cantor group \(\Omega\) and \(f : \Omega \to {\mathbb R}\) is continuous function.