Dynamical Localization for the Random Dimer Model

TL;DR

This paper investigates the spectral and localization properties of the one-dimensional random dimer model, demonstrating pure point spectrum and dynamical localization under various parameter regimes, with specific critical energies identified.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the spectral type and localization phenomena in the random dimer model, including the identification of critical energies and conditions for dynamical localization.

Findings

Spectrum is pure point with probability one.

Eigenfunctions are exponentially localized away from critical energies.

Dynamical localization holds for all states with rapid decay.

Abstract

We study the one-dimensional random dimer model, with Hamiltonian $H_\omega=\Delta + V_\omega$, where for all $x\in\Z, V_\omega(2x)=V_\omega(2x+1)$ and where the $V_\omega(2x)$ are i.i.d. Bernoulli random variables taking the values $\pm V, V>0$. We show that, for all values of $V$ and with probability one in $\omega$, the spectrum of $H$ is pure point. If $V\leq1$ and $V\neq 1/\sqrt{2}$, the Lyapounov exponent vanishes only at the two critical energies given by $E=\pm V$. For the particular value $V=1/\sqrt{2}$, respectively $V=\sqrt{2}$, we show the existence of additional critical energies at $E=\pm 3/\sqrt{2}$, resp. E=0. On any compact interval $I$ not containing the critical energies, the eigenfunctions are then shown to be semi-uniformly exponentially localized, and this implies dynamical localization: for all $q>0$ and for all $\psi\in\ell^2(\Z)$ with sufficiently rapid decrease: $$ \sup_t r^{(q)}_{\psi,I}(t) \equiv \sup_t < P_I(H_\omega)\psi_t, |X|^q P_I(H_\omega)\psi_t > <\infty. $$ Here $\psi_t=e^{-iH_\omega t} \psi$, and $P_I(H_\omega)$ is the spectral projector of $H_\omega$ onto the interval $I$. In particular if $V>1$ and $V\neq \sqrt{2}$, these results hold on the entire spectrum (so that one can take $I=\sigma(H_\omega)$).