Anharmonic Oscillators with Infinitely Many Real Eigenvalues and PT-Symmetry

We study the eigenvalue problem $-u"+V(z)u=\lambda u$ in the complex plane with the boundary condition that $u(z)$ decays to zero as $z$ tends to infinity along the two rays $\arg z=-\frac{\pi}{2} \pm \frac{2\pi}{m+2}$, where $V(z)=-(iz)^m-P(iz)$ for complex-valued polynomials $P$ of degree at most $m-1\geq 2$. We provide an asymptotic formula for eigenvalues and a necessary and sufficient condition for the anharmonic oscillator to have infinitely many real eigenvalues

Trace Formulas for Non-Self-Adjoint Periodic Schr\"odinger Operators and some Applications

Recently, a trace formula for non-self-adjoint periodic Schr\"odinger operators in $L^2(\mathbb{R})$ associated with Dirichlet eigenvalues was proved in [9]. Here we prove a corresponding trace formula associated with Neumann eigenvalues. In addition we investigate Dirichlet and Neumann eigenvalues of such operators. In particular, using the Dirichlet and Neumann trace formulas we provide detailed information on location of the Dirichlet and Neumann eigenvalues for the model operator with the potential $Ke^{2ix}$, where $K\in\mathbb{C}$.Comment: 26 pages, no figure

The potential (iz)^m generates real eigenvalues only, under symmetric rapid decay conditions

We consider the eigenvalue problems -u"(z) +/- (iz)^m u(z) = lambda u(z), m >= 3, under every rapid decay boundary condition that is symmetric with respect to the imaginary axis in the complex z-plane. We prove that the eigenvalues lambda are all positive real.Comment: 23 pages and 1 figur

On the shape of spectra for non-self-adjoint periodic Schr\"odinger operators

The spectra of the Schr\"odinger operators with periodic potentials are studied. When the potential is real and periodic, the spectrum consists of at most countably many line segments (energy bands) on the real line, while when the potential is complex and periodic, the spectrum consists of at most countably many analytic arcs in the complex plane. In some recent papers, such operators with complex $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric periodic potentials are studied. In particular, the authors argued that some energy bands would appear and disappear under perturbations. Here, we show that appearance and disappearance of such energy bands imply existence of nonreal spectra. This is a consequence of a more general result, describing the local shape of the spectrum.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Eigenvalues of PT-symmetric oscillators with polynomial potentials

We study the eigenvalue problem $-u^{\prime\prime}(z)-[(iz)^m+P_{m-1}(iz)]u(z)=\lambda u(z)$ with the boundary conditions that $u(z)$ decays to zero as $z$ tends to infinity along the rays $\arg z=-\frac{\pi}{2}\pm \frac{2\pi}{m+2}$, where $P_{m-1}(z)=a_1 z^{m-1}+a_2 z^{m-2}+...+a_{m-1} z$ is a polynomial and integers $m\geq 3$. We provide an asymptotic expansion of the eigenvalues $\lambda_n$ as $n\to+\infty$, and prove that for each {\it real} polynomial $P_{m-1}$, the eigenvalues are all real and positive, with only finitely many exceptions.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure. v2: equation (14) as well as a few subsequent equations has been changed. v3: typos correcte