One dimensional Schrödinger operators with high potential barriers

Authors Werner Kirsch, S. Molchanov, L. A. Pastur

Publication date 16 March 1998

one-dimensional pure point spectrum of the Hamiltonian Schrödinger equation

Particular ordinary differential operators (Dirac, one-dimensional Schrödinger, etc.) (34L40) General theory of ordinary differential operators (47E05) Applications of operator theory in the physical sciences (47N50) Selfadjoint operator theory in quantum theory, including spectral analysis (81Q10)

Review text

A well-known theorem of Molchanov implies that a one-dimensional Hamiltonian \[ H_\alpha=-d^2/dx^2+V \] in half-space, acting on \(L^2[0,\infty)\)-functions \(\psi(x)\) with boundary conditions \[ \psi(0)\cos\alpha+\psi'(0)\sin\alpha=0,\quad 0\leq\alpha\leq 2\pi, \] has a purely discrete spectrum if and only if \(\int^{x+1}_x|V(x)|dx\to\infty\) as \(x\to\infty\). The authors assume (for the sake of simplicity) that \(V(\in L^2_{\text{loc}})\geq 0\), but it is clear that their arguments can be extended to more general cases. Following \textit{B. Simon} and \textit{T. Spencer} [Commun. Math. Phys. 125, No. 1, 113-125 (1989; Zbl 0684.47010)] they introduce a sequence \(x_n\nearrow\infty\), and a corresponding sequence \(h_n\) such that \(V\geq V_n\), on \([x_n- h_n,x_n+h_n]\) as \(V_n\to\infty\) and \(h_n\sqrt V_n\to\infty\). Let \(\ell_n\) denote \((x_{n+1} -x_n)>\beta>0\). The authors prove that if for some \(\gamma <1\) it is true that \(\Sigma_n(\ell_n^{3/2}+\ell_{n+1}^{3/2})\exp\{\gamma h_n\sqrt V_n)<\infty\), then \(H_\alpha\) has pure point spectrum. The authors use Kotani's technique of proof. Introducing Green's function \(R(x,y)\) they apply De-Valee-Poussin's theorem on spectral measure, showing that the singular continuous spectrum of \(H_\alpha\) is concentrated on a set of Lebesgue measure zero, which is independent of \(\alpha\). An interesting resolvent estimate completes this rather intricate proof. Examples of application include one of a slowly oscillating potential considered in a subsequently published article by G. Stolz: \(V(x)=\cos(2\pi x^{1-\varepsilon})\) with \(\varepsilon<1\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0863.00037].

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