We consider operators with random potentials on graphs, such as the lattice version of the random Schroedinger operator. The main result is a general bound on the probabilities of simultaneous occurrence of eigenvalues in specified distinct intervals, with the corresponding eigenfunctions being separately localized within prescribed regions. The bound generalizes the Wegner estimate on the density of states. The analysis proceeds through a new multiparameter spectral averaging principle.
We consider discrete one-dimensional random Schroedinger operators with decaying matrix-valued, independent potentials. We show that if the l^2-norm of this potential has finite expectation value with respect to the product measure then almost surely the Schroedinger operator has an interval of purely absolutely continuous (ac) spectrum. We apply this result to Schroedinger operators on a strip. This work provides a new proof and generalizes a result obtained by Delyon, Simon, and Souillard.
This review is an extended version of my mini course at the Etats de la recherche: Operateurs de Schroedinger aleatoires at the Universite Paris 13 in June 2002, a summer school organized by Frederic Klopp. These lecture notes try to give some of the basics of random Schroedinger operators. They are meant for nonspecialists and require only minor previous knowledge about functional analysis and probability theory. Nevertheless this survey includes complete proofs of Lifshitz tails and Anderson localization.
In this paper, we consider stochastic Schroedinger equations with two-dimensional white noise. Such equations are used to describe the evolution of an open quantum system undergoing a process of continuous measurement. Representations are obtained for solutions of such equations using a generalization to the stochastic case of the classical construction of Feynman path integrals over trajectories in the phase space.
We study the macroscopic scaling and weak coupling limit for a random Schroedinger equation on Z^3. We prove that the Wigner transforms of a large class of "macroscopic" solutions converge in r-th mean to solutions of a linear Boltzmann equation, for any finite value of r in R_+. This extends previous results where convergence in expectation was established.
We study Schroedinger's equation with a potential moving along a Brownian motion path. We prove a RAGE-type theorem and Strichartz estimates for the solution on average.
As part of condensed-matter physics, the field of Anderson localization concerns the study of conductance of electrons in a random medium. We summarize and explain the results obtained in "A new numerical approach to Anderson (de)localization" from a physics perspective. Further, we discover a relationship with the so-called Thouless criterion - a dimensionless scaling parameter often used as the sole indicator whether or not the system exhibits Anderson localization.
We study a non-linear Schroedinger equation with a Hartree-type nonlinearity and a localized random time-dependent external potential. Sharp dispersive estimates for the linear Schroedinger equation with a random time-dependent potential enable us to also treat the case of small semi-linear perturbations. In both the linear and the nonlinear instances, we prove that, on average, energy remains bounded and solutions scatter.
We consider a Schroedinger operator with random potential distributed according to a Poisson process. We show that expectations of matrix elements of the resolvent as well as the density of states can be approximated to arbitrary precision in powers of the coupling constant. The expansion coefficients are given in terms of expectations obtained by Neumann expanding the potential around the free Laplacian. One can control these expansion coefficients in the infinite volume limit. We show that for this limit the boundary value as the spectral parameter approaches the real axis exists as well. Ou…
We survey some aspects of the theory of the integrated density of states (IDS) of random Schroedinger operators. The first part motivates the problem and introduces the relevant models as well as quantities of interest. The proof of the existence of this interesting quantity, the IDS, is discussed in the second section. One central topic of this survey is the asymptotic behavior of the integrated density of states at the boundary of the spectrum. In particular, we are interested in Lifshitz tails and the occurrence of a classical and a quantum regime. In the last section we discuss regularity …
We prove long time Anderson localization for nonlinear random Schroedinger equation in $\ell^2$ by making a Birkoff normal form type transform to creat an energy barrier where there is essentially no mode propagation. One of the new features is that this transform is in a small neighborhood enabling us to treat "rough" data, where there are no moment conditions. The formulation of the present result is inspired by the RAGE theorem.
We apply a recently developed approach (Liaw 2013) to study the existence of extended states for the three dimensional discrete random Schroedinger operator at small disorder. The conclusion of delocalization at small disorder agrees with other numerical and experimental observations. Further the work furnishes a verification of the numerical approach and its implementation. Not being based on scaling theory, this method eliminates problems due to boundary conditions, common to previous numerical methods in the field. At the same time, as with any numerical experiment, one cannot exclude finit…
We obtain lower and upper bounds on the heat kernel and Green functions of the Schroedinger operator in a random Gaussian magnetic field and a fixed scalar potential. We apply stochastic Feynman-Kac representation, diamagnetic upper bounds and the Jensen inequality for the lower bound. We show that if the covariance of the electromagnetic (vector) potential is increasing at large distances then the lower bound is decreasing exponentially fast for large distances and a large time.
We study a class of Schrödinger operators on $\Z^2$ with a random potential decaying as $|x|^{-\dex}$, $0<\dex\leq\frac12$, in the limit of small disorder strength $λ$. For the critical exponent $\dex=\frac12$, we prove that the localization length of eigenfunctions is bounded below by $2^{λ^{-\frac14+η}}$, while for $0<\dex<\frac12$, the lower bound is $λ^{-\frac{2-η}{1-2\dex}}$, for any $η>0$. These estimates "interpolate" between the lower bound $λ^{-2+η}$ due to recent work of Schlag-Shubin-Wolff for $\dex=0$, and pure a.c. spectrum for $\dex>\frac12$ demonstrated in recent work of Bourgai…
We will consider cross products of finite graphs with a class of trees that have arbitrarily but finitely long line segments, such as the Fibonacci tree. Such cross products are called tree-strips. We prove that for small disorder random Schrödinger operators on such tree-strips have purely absolutely continuous spectrum in a certain set.
A tree-strip of finite cone type is the product of a tree of finite cone type with a finite set. We consider random Schrödinger operators on these tree strips, similar to the Anderson model. We prove that for small disorder the spectrum is almost surely, purely, absolutely continuous in a certain set.
We consider Schroedinger operators with a random potential of alloy type on infinite metric graphs which obey certain uniformity conditions. For single site potentials of fixed sign we prove that the random Schroedinger operator restricted to a finite volume subgraph obeys a Wegner estimate which is linear in the volume and reproduces the modulus of continuity of the single site distribution. This improves and unifies earlier results for alloy type models on metric graphs. We discuss applications of Wegner estimates to bounds of the modulus of continuity of the integrated density of states of …
In this article we continue our analysis of Schroedinger operators with a random potential using scattering theory. In particular the theory of Krein's spectral shift function leads to an alternative construction of the density of states in arbitrary dimensions. For arbitrary dimension we show existence of the spectral shift density, which is defined as the bulk limit of the spectral shift function per unit interaction volume. This density equals the difference of the density of states for the free and the interaction theory. This extends the results previously obtained by the authors in one d…
The Nonlinear Schroedinger Equation (NLSE) with a random potential is motivated by experiments in optics and in atom optics and is a paradigm for the competition between the randomness and nonlinearity. The analysis of the NLSE with a random (Anderson like) potential has been done at various levels of control: numerical, analytical and rigorous. Yet, this model equation presents us with a highly inconclusive and often contradictory picture. We will describe the main recent results obtained in this field and propose a list of specific problems to focus on, that we hope will enable to resolve th…
We study Schroedinger operators with random edge weights and their expected spectral measures $μ_H$ near zero. We prove that the measure exhibits a spike of the form $μ_H(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon) \sim \frac{C}{| \log\varepsilon|^2}$ (first observed by Dyson), without assuming independence or any regularity of edge weights. We also identify the limiting local eigenvalue distribution, which is different from Poisson and the usual random matrix statistics. We then use the result to compute Novikov-Shubin invariants for various groups, including lamplighter groups and lattices in the Lie group So…
We study Schroedinger operators with a random potential of alloy type. The single site potentials are allowed to change sign. For a certain class of them we prove a Wegner estimate. This is a key ingredient in an existence proof of pure point spectrum of the considered random Schroedinger operators. Our estimate is valid for all bounded energy intervals and all space dimensions and implies the existence of the density of states.
Methods from scattering theory are introduced to analyze random Schroedinger operators in one dimension by applying a volume cutoff to the potential. The key ingredient is the Lifshitz-Krein spectral shift function, which is related to the scattering phase by the theorem of Birman and Krein. The spectral shift density is defined as the "thermodynamic limit" of the spectral shift function per unit length of the interaction region. This density is shown to be equal to the difference of the densities of states for the free and the interacting Hamiltonians. Based on this construction, we give a ne…
We prove a localization theorem for continuous ergodic Schrödinger operators $ H_ω:= H_0 + V_ω$, where the random potential $ V_ω$ is a nonnegative Anderson-type perturbation of the periodic operator $ H_0$. We consider a lower spectral band edge of $ σ(H_0) $, say $ E= 0 $, at a gap which is preserved by the perturbation $ V_ω$. Assuming that all Floquet eigenvalues of $ H_0$, which reach the spectral edge 0 as a minimum, have there a positive definite Hessian, we conclude that there exists an interval $ I $ containing 0 such that $ H_ω$ has only pure point spectrum in $ I $ for almost all $ …
For Schroedinger operators (including those with magnetic fields) with singular (locally integrable) scalar potentials on manifolds of bounded geometry, we study continuity properties of some related integral kernels: the heat kernel, the Green function, and also kernels of some other functions of the operator. In particular, we show the joint continuity of the heat kernel and the continuity of the Green function outside the diagonal. The proof makes intensive use of the Lippmann-Schwinger equation.
The Bethe Strip of width $m$ is the cartesian product $\B\times\{1,...,m\}$, where $\B$ is the Bethe lattice (Cayley tree). We prove that Anderson models on the Bethe strip have "extended states" for small disorder. More precisely, we consider Anderson-like Hamiltonians $\;H_λ=\frac12 Δ\otimes 1 + 1 \otimes A + λ\Vv$ on a Bethe strip with connectivity $K \geq 2$, where $A$ is an $m\times m$ symmetric matrix, $\Vv$ is a random matrix potential, and $λ$ is the disorder parameter. Given any closed interval $I\subset (-\sqrt{K}+a_{\mathrm{max}},\sqrt{K}+a_{\mathrm{min}})$, where $a_{\mathrm{min}}$…
The subject of this work are random Schroedinger operators on regular rooted tree graphs $\T$ with stochastically homogeneous disorder. The operators are of the form $H_λ(ω) = T + U + λV(ω)$ acting in $\ell^2(\T)$, with $T $ the adjacency matrix, $U$ a radially periodic potential, and $V(ω)$ a random potential. This includes the only class of homogeneously random operators for which it was proven that the spectrum of $H_λ(ω)$ exhibits an absolutely continuous (ac) component; a results established by A. Klein for weak disorder, in case U=0 and $V(ω)$ given by iid random variables on $\T$. Our m…
We study localization effects of disorder on the spectral and dynamical properties of Schroedinger operators with random potentials. The new results include exponentially decaying bounds on the transition amplitude and related projection kernels, including in the mean. These are derived through the analysis of fractional moments of the resolvent, which are finite due to the resonance-diffusing effects of the disorder. The main difficulty which has up to now prevented an extension of this method to the continuum can be traced to the lack of a uniform bound on the Lifshitz-Krein spectral shift a…
We consider radial tree extensions of one-dimensional quasi-periodic Schroedinger operators and establish the stability of their absolutely continuous spectra under weak but extensive perturbations by a random potential. The sufficiency criterion for that is the existence of Bloch-Floquet states for the one dimensional operator corresponding to the radial problem.
We study spectra of alloy-type random Schrödinger operators on metric graphs. For finite edge subsets of general graphs we prove a Wegner estimate which is linear in the volume (i.e. the number of edges) and the length of the considered energy interval. The single site potential of the alloy-type model needs to have fixed sign, but the considered metric graph does not need to have a periodic structure. The second result we obtain is an exhaustion construction of the integrated density of states for ergodic random Schrödinger operators on metric graphs with a $\ZZ^ν$-structure. For certain mode…
We study a random Schroedinger operator, the Laplacian with random Dirac delta potentials on a torus T^d_L = R^d/LZ^d, in the thermodynamic limit L\to\infty, for dimension d=2. The potentials are located on a randomly distorted lattice Z^2+ω, where the displacements are i.i.d. random variables sampled from a compactly supported probability density. We prove that, if the disorder is sufficiently weak, there exists a certain energy threshold E_0>0 above which exponential localization of the eigenfunctions must break down. In fact we can rule out any decay faster than a certain polynomial one. Ou…
Electronic properties of amorphous or non-crystalline disordered solids are often modelled by one-particle Schroedinger operators with random potentials which are ergodic with respect to the full group of Euclidean translations. We give a short, reasonably self-contained survey of rigorous results on such operators, where we allow for the presence of a constant magnetic field. We compile robust properties of the integrated density of states like its self-averaging, uniqueness and leading high-energy growth. Results on its leading low-energy fall-off, that is, on its Lifshits tail, are then dis…
We study localisation effects of strong disorder on the spectral and dynamical properties of (matrix and scalar) Schroedinger operators with non-monotone random potentials, on the d-dimensional lattice. Our results include dynamical localisation, i.e. exponentially decaying bounds on the transition amplitude in the mean. They are derived through the study of fractional moments of the resolvent, which are finite due to resonance-diffusing effects of the disorder. One of the byproducts of the analysis is a nearly optimal Wegner estimate. A particular example of the class of systems covered by ou…
We consider a two dimensional magnetic Schroedinger operator on a square lattice with a spatially stationary random magnetic field. We prove Anderson localization near the spectral edges. We use a new approach to establish a Wegner estimate that does not rely on the monotonicity of the energy on the random parameters.
By suitably extending a Feynman-Kac formula of Simon [Canadian Math. Soc. Conf. Proc, 28 (2000), 317-321], we study one-parameter semigroups generated by (the negative of) rather general Schroedinger operators, which may be unbounded from below and include a magnetic vector potential. In particular, a common domain of essential self-adjointness for such a semigroup is specified. Moreover, each member of the semigroup is proven to be a maximal Carleman operator with a continuous integral kernel given by a Brownian-bridge expectation. The results are used to show that the spectral projections of…
It is known that a one-dimensional quantum particle is localized when subjected to an arbitrarily weak random potential. It is conjectured that localization also occurs for an arbitrarily weak potential generated from the nonlinear skew-shift dynamics: $v_n=2\cos\left(\binom{n}{2}ω+ny+x\right)$ with $ω$ an irrational number. Recently, Han, Schlag, and the second author derived a finite-size criterion in the case when $ω$ is the golden mean, which allows to derive the positivity of the infinite-volume Lyapunov exponent from three conditions imposed at a fixed, finite scale. Here we numerically …
We construct quasi-periodic solutions to the lattice nonlinear random Schroedinger equation on a set of potentials of positive measure via using a Lyapunov-Schmidt decomposition and a multiscale Newton scheme.
The integrated density of states of a Schroedinger operator with random potential given by a homogeneous Gaussian field whose covariance function is continuous, compactly supported and has positive mean, is locally uniformly Lipschitz-continuous. This is proven using a Wegner estimate.
We consider a two dimensional magnetic Schroedinger operator with a spatially stationary random magnetic field. We assume that the magnetic field has a positive lower bound and that it has Fourier modes on arbitrarily short scales. We prove the Wegner estimate at arbitrary energy, i.e. we show that the averaged density of states is finite throughout the whole spectrum. We also prove Anderson localization at the bottom of the spectrum.
We develop a new approach for the Anderson localization problem. The implementation of this method yields strong numerical evidence leading to a (surprising to many) conjecture: The two dimensional discrete random Schroedinger operator with small disorder allows states that are dynamically delocalized with positive probability. This approach is based on a recent result by Abakumov-Liaw-Poltoratski which is rooted in the study of spectral behavior under rank-one perturbations, and states that every non-zero vector is almost surely cyclic for the singular part of the operator. The numerical work…
In this paper, we show the that the ground state energy of the one dimensional Discrete Random Schroedinger Operator with Bernoulli Potential is controlled asymptotically as the system size N goes to infinity by the random variable \ell_N, the length the longest consecutive sequence of sites on the lattice with potential equal to zero. Specifically, we will show that for almost every realization of the potential the ground state energy behaves asymptotically as $\frac{π^2}{\ell_N+1)^2}$ in the sense that the ratio of the quantities goes to one.
We explore the properties of discrete random Schroedinger operators in which the random part of the potential is supported on a sub-lattice. In particular, we provide new conditions on the sub-lattice under which Anderson localisation happens at strong disorder, and provide examples in which it can be ruled out.
As a supplement of our previous work, we consider the localized region of the random Schroedinger operators on $l^2({\bf Z}^d)$ and study the point process composed of their eigenvalues and corresponding localization centers. For the Anderson model, we show that, this point process in the natural scaling limit converges in distribution to the Poisson process on the product space of energy and space. In other models with suitable Wegner-type bounds, we can at least show that any limiting point processes are infinitely divisible.
We review recent and give some new results on the spectral properties of Schroedinger operators with a random potential of alloy type. Our point of interest is the so called Wegner estimate in the case where the single site potentials change sign. The indefinitness of the single site potential poses certain difficulties for the proof of the Wegner estimate which are still not fully understood. The Wegner estimate is a key ingredient in an existence proof of pure point spectrum of the considered random Schroedinger operators. Under certain assumptions on the considered models additionally the e…
We prove spectral and dynamical localization on a cubic-lattice quantum graph with a random potential. We use multiscale analysis and show how to obtain the necessary estimates in analogy to the well-studied case of random Schroedinger operators.
Recently, Aizenman and Warzel discovered a mechanism for the appearance of absolutely continuous spectrum for random Schroedinger operators on the Bethe lattice through rare resonances (resonant delocalization). We extend their analysis to operators with matrix-valued random potentials drawn from ensembles such as the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. These operators can be viewed as random operators on the Bethe strip, a graph (lattice) with loops.
Quantum turbulence that exhibits vortex creation, annihilation and interactions is demonstrated as an exact solution of the time-dependent, free-particle Schrödinger equation evolved from a smooth random-phased initial condition. Relaxed quantum turbulence in 2D and 3D exhibits universal scaling in the steady-state energy spectrum as k-1 in small scales. Due to the lack of dissipation, no evidence of the Kolmogorov-type forward energy cascade in 3D or the inverse energy cascade in 2D is found, but the rotational and potential flow components do approach equi-partition in the scaling regime. In…
We determine the leading low-energy fall-off of the integrated density of states of a magnetic Schroedinger operator with repulsive Poissonian random potential in case its single impurity potential has a slow anisotropic decay at infinity. This so-called magnetic Lifshits tail is shown to coincide with the one of the corresponding classical integrated density of states.
We study the spectrum of random ergodic Schroedinger-type operators in the weak disorder regime. We give upper and lower bounds on how much the spectrum expands at its bottom for very general perturbations. The background operator is assumed to be a periodic elliptic differential operator on R^d, not necessarily of second order.
The estimates on the fluctuations of first-passsage percolation due to Talagrand (a tail bound) and Benjamini--Kalai--Schramm (a sublinear variance bound) are transcribed into the positive-temperature setting of random Schroedinger operators.
As was noted already by A. N. Kolmogorov, any random variable has a Bernoulli component. This observation provides a tool for the extension of results which are known for Bernoulli random variables to arbitrary distributions. Two applications are provided here: i. an anti-concentration bound for a class of functions of independent random variables, where probabilistic bounds are extracted from combinatorial results, and ii. a proof, based on the Bernoulli case, of spectral localization for random Schroedinger operators with arbitrary probability distributions for the single site coupling const…
We consider a single band approximation to the random Schroedinger operator in an external magnetic field. The spectrum of such an operator has been characterized in the case where delta impurities are located on the sites of a lattice. In this paper we generalize these results by letting the delta impurites have random positions as well as strengths; they are located in squares of a lattice with a general bounded distribution. We characterize the entire spectrum of this operator when the magnetic field is sufficiently high. We show that the whole spectrum is pure point, the energy coinciding …
We study a random Schroedinger operator, the Laplacian with N independently uniformly distributed random delta potentials on flat tori T^d_L = R^d/LZ^d, d = 2, 3, where L > 0 is large. We determine a condition in terms of the size of the torus L, the density of the potentials ρ= N/L^d and the energy of the eigenfunction E such any such eigenfunctions will with nonzero probability be uniformly distributed on the entire torus. We remark that the equidistribution we prove here is still consistent with a localized regime, where the localization length is much larger than the size of the torus. In …
Random Schroedinger operators with imaginary vector potentials are studied in dimension one. These operators are non-Hermitian and their spectra lie in the complex plane. We consider the eigenvalue problem on finite intervals of length n with periodic boundary conditions and describe the limit eigenvalue distribution when n goes to infinity. We prove that this limit distribution is supported by curves in the complex plane. We also obtain equations for these curves and for the corresponding eigenvalue density in terms of the Lyapunov exponent and the integrated density of states of a "reference…
For operators with homogeneous disorder, it is generally expected that there is a relation between the spectral characteristics of a random operator in the infinite setup and the distribution of the energy gaps in its finite volume versions, in corresponding energy ranges. Whereas pure point spectrum of the infinite operator goes along with Poisson level statistics, it is expected that purely absolutely continuous spectrum would be associated with gap distributions resembling the corresponding random matrix ensemble. We prove that on regular rooted trees, which exhibit both spectral types, the…
Joint distributions of eigenvectors of symmetric random tensors
Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University（京都大学汤川理论物理研究所）；CGPQI, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University（京都大学汤川理论物理中心量子引力与信息）
We establish the asymptotics of the joint moments of the characteristic polynomial of a random unitary matrix and its derivative for general real values of the exponents, proving a conjecture made by Hughes in 2001. Moreover, we give a probabilistic representation for the leading order coefficient in the asymptotic in terms of a real-valued random variable that plays an important role in the ergodic decomposition of the Hua-Pickrell measures. This enables us to establish connections between the characteristic function of this random variable and the $σ$-Painlevé III' equation.
We consider $(1+1)$-dimensional directed polymers in a random potential and provide sufficient conditions guaranteeing joint localization. Joint localization means that for typical realizations of the environment, and for polymers started at different starting points, all the associated endpoint distributions localize in a common random region that does not grow with the length of the polymer. In particular, we prove that joint localization holds when the reference random walk of the polymer model is either a simple symmetric lattice walk or a Gaussian random walk. We also prove that the very …
A wide range of physical problems can be described by randomly-oriented linear trajectories, including any system of objects, organisms, particles, or rays that follow a linear path. Dependent upon the particular random variables that define translation and direction, a description of the probabilistic behavior through a static volume can reveal evidence on an object's physical properties. Yet more information may be available in cases where this behavior is a function of volume shape. In this study two types of random trajectories are considered as they pass through a box of arbitrary relativ…
A finite dimensional quantum system for which the quantum chaos conjecture applies has eigenstates, which show the same statistical properties than the column vectors of random orthogonal or unitary matrices. Here, we consider the different probabilities for obtaining a specific outcome in a projective measurement, provided the system is in one of its eigenstates. We then give analytic expressions for the joint probability density for these probabilities, with respect to the ensemble of random matrices. In the case of the unitary group, our results can be applied, also, to the phenomenon of un…
