On spin structures and Dirac operators on the noncommutative torus (Q867324)

The authors study and classify equivariant spin structures on the two-dimensional noncommutative torus \(T_\lambda\) defined by the algebra \(\mathcal A(T_\lambda)\) generated by two unitary elements \(U\) and \(V\) satisfying the commutation relation \[ UV = \lambda VU,\tag{1} \] where \(\lambda\) is a generic complex number, \(| \lambda| = 1\). In the classical \(\lambda = 1\) case, it is well-known that there are four different spin structures on the torus and the Dirac operators have different spectra [cf. \textit{Ch.~Bär}, Global Analysis and Harmonic Analysis, Sémin. Congr. 4, 17--33 (2000; Zbl 0995.58020)]. The authors prove that a similar result holds also in the noncommutative case. Among several a priori admissible reality structures only four of them admit Dirac operators with compact resolvent and fulfilling the required axioms. One starts by looking at all possible equivariant representations with an equivariant real structure \(J\) and a \(\mathbb Z_2\)-grading \(\gamma\). Since the Hilbert space must be graded, this problem amounts to find two equivariant representations \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\). Let \(\mathcal V = \mathcal V_+\oplus\mathcal V_-\) be a vector space on which a \(*\)-representation \(\rho\) of the derivations on \(\mathcal A(T_\lambda)\) acts. Write \(\delta_1\) and \(\delta_2\) for a basis of such derivations and \(e_{\mu,\nu}\) for their mutual eigenvectors \[ \rho(\delta_1)e_{\mu,\nu} = \mu e_{\mu,\nu},\quad \rho(\delta_2)e_{\mu,\nu} = \nu e_{\mu,\nu} \] where \(\mu, \nu\in\mathbb R\) are arbitrary numerical labels. The equivariance condition imposes that \[ \pi(U)e_{\mu,\nu} = u_{\mu,\nu}e_{\mu+1,\nu},\quad \pi(V)e_{\mu,\nu} = v_{\mu,\nu}e_{\mu,\nu+1} \] while from the commutation relation (1) one gets \[ u_{\mu,\nu+1}v_{\mu,\nu} = \lambda u_{\mu,\nu}v_{\mu+1,\nu}. \] Up-to a possible re-scaling of the eigenvectors, one may choose \(u_{\mu,\nu} = 1\) and \(u_{\mu,\nu} = \lambda^{-\mu}\). This implies that the minimal irreducible equivariant representation consists of a linear span of \(e_{\mu+m,\nu+n}\), for all \(m,n\in\mathbb Z\): \[ \mathcal V_{\mu,\nu} = \bigoplus_{m,n\in\mathbb Z}V_{\mu_o+m,\nu_o+n},\qquad V_{\mu_o+m,\nu_o+n} \simeq \mathbb C \] with no restriction, a priori, on the values of \(\mu_o\) and of \(\nu_o\). The anti-linear unitary operator \(J\) on \(\mathcal V\) \[ J^2=-1,\qquad J\gamma = -\gamma J \] maps \(\mathcal V_{\pm}\) onto \(\mathcal V_\mp\). Such an operator determines an equivariant homomorphism \(J: \mathcal V \to \mathcal V\) if and only if \[ Je_{\mu,\nu,\pm} = \pm j(\mu,\nu)e_{-\mu,-\nu,\mp},\qquad e_{\mu,\nu,\pm}\in\mathcal V_\pm \] where \(j(\mu,\nu)\) is an arbitrary phase. Moreover, the authors show that \(J\) maps the algebra \(\mathcal A(T_\lambda)\) to its commutant if and only if \[ j(\mu,\nu) = e^{i\phi\mu+i\psi\nu+\theta}\lambda^{-\mu\nu} \] where \(\phi, \psi\) and \(\theta\) are arbitrary real numbers. In particular, the constant \(\theta\) is a global phase and can be fixed to \(\theta=0\). For the construction of an equivariant Dirac operator, one assumes first the existence of an equivariant graded linear operator, i.e., an operator \(D\) which satisfies \[ De_{\mu,\nu,\pm} = d_{\mu,\nu,\pm}e_{\mu,\nu,\mp}. \] From the action of \(J\), one must also require that \[ \exists~m,n\in\mathbb Z:\quad \mu = -\mu+m,~\nu = -\nu+n. \] This means that both \(\mu\) and \(\nu\) must be either integers or half-integers. The authors then deduce that all these conditions are verified only in four possible classes of inequivalent real spectral triples over \(T_\lambda\). The necessary final condition to fix the spectral data comes either from the requirement of the spectral properties of the Dirac operator or from the Hochschild cycle condition. In both cases one sees that only \(\phi=0=\psi\) are admissible values.