Schrodinger Operators with Spectral Transitions

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

The project concerns the anomalous spectral and diffusive properties of quasiperiodic and other deterministic and random structures. This is research on the fundamental properties of disordered systems that serve as models of systems with impurities. Quasiperiodic operators provide central or important models for integer quantum Hall effect, experimental quasicrystals and the quantum chaos theory. The development of the rigorous theory is expected to contribute to the understanding of all the above phenomena, and in particular, may lead to finding new materials with desired physical properties. Disordered systems are also used in modeling many other micro and macro effects: from quantum localization to earthquakes. The proposed topics include studying properties of both highly and weakly disordered systems of Quantum Mechanics that demonstrate certain anomalous behavior. An integral part of the project concerns educating graduate students and other young researchers. The project consists of several parts. One is to prove the extended states for multidimensional quasiperiodic operators. Another is to study the effects of interaction in tight-binding quasi-periodic models. One more is to develop a new, determinantal, approach to multidimensional Anderson localization. Other important objectives are the study of issues related to certain models of quantum chaos. The project involves the continuing development of non-perturbative methods for the proofs of localization type effects both in Schrodinger operators and in quantum spin systems, percolation and contact processes in disordered environments, as well as for the study of absolutely continuous spectrum. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.