On the structure of eigenfunctions corresponding to embedded eigenvalues of locally perturbed periodic graph operators

TL;DR

This paper proves that eigenfunctions corresponding to embedded eigenvalues in locally perturbed periodic graph operators are necessarily localized near the perturbation, and cannot be arbitrarily extended.

Contribution

It establishes that such eigenfunctions are always compactly supported or localized near the perturbation, under the irreducibility condition of the Fermi surface.

Findings

Eigenfunctions are localized near the perturbation.

Eigenmodes cannot be arbitrarily extended.

Localization width depends on the unperturbed operator.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the following question. Consider a periodic self-adjoint difference (differential) operator on a graph (quantum graph) G with a co-compact free action of the integer lattice Z^n. It is known that a local perturbation of the operator might embed an eigenvalue into the continuous spectrum (a feature uncommon for periodic elliptic operators of second order). In all known constructions of such examples, the corresponding eigenfunction is compactly supported. One wonders whether this must always be the case. The paper answers this question affirmatively. What is more surprising, one can estimate that the eigenmode must be localized not far away from the perturbation (in a neighborhood of the perturbation's support, the width of the neighborhood determined by the unperturbed operator only). The validity of this result requires the condition of irreducibility of the Fermi (Floquet) surface of the periodic operator, which is expected to be satisfied for instance for periodic Schroedinger operators.