PT-Invariant Periodic Potentials with a Finite Number of Band Gaps

TL;DR

This paper generalizes PT-invariant periodic potentials with four parameters, identifies conditions for finite band gaps, and constructs new potentials using supersymmetry, revealing connections to Heun's equation.

Contribution

It introduces a four-parameter class of PT-invariant potentials with finite band gaps and develops new potentials via supersymmetry, expanding previous two-parameter models.

Findings

Many integer parameter values yield periodic potentials with finite band gaps.

Constructed new complex PT-invariant potentials with finite band gaps using supersymmetry.

Established a connection between the generalized Lamé potentials and Heun's differential equation.

Abstract

We obtain the band edge eigenstates and the mid-band states for the complex, PT-invariant generalized associated Lam\'e potentials $V^{PT}(x)=-a(a+1)m \sn^2(y,m)-b(b+1)m {\sn^2 (y+K(m),m)} -f(f+1)m {\sn^2 (y+K(m)+iK'(m),m)}-g(g+1)m {\sn^2 (y+iK'(m),m)}$, where $y \equiv ix+\beta$, and there are four parameters $a,b,f,g$. This work is a substantial generalization of previous work with the associated Lam\'e potentials $V(x)=a(a+1)m\sn^2(x,m)+b(b+1)m{\sn^2 (x+K(m),m)}$ and their corresponding PT-invariant counterparts $V^{PT}(x)=-V(ix+\beta)$, both of which involving just two parameters $a,b$. We show that for many integer values of $a,b,f,g$, the PT-invariant potentials $V^{PT}(x)$ are periodic problems with a finite number of band gaps. Further, usingsupersymmetry, we construct several additional, new, complex, PT-invariant, periodic potentials with a finite number of band gaps. We also point out the intimate connection between the above generalized associated Lam\'e potential problem and Heun's differential equation.