Median eigenvalues of bipartite subcubic graphs

It is proved that the median eigenvalues of every connected bipartite graph $G$ of maximum degree at most three belong to the interval $[-1,1]$ with a single exception of the Heawood graph, whose median eigenvalues are $\pm\sqrt{2}$. Moreover, if $G$ is not isomorphic to the Heawood graph, then a positive fraction of its median eigenvalues lie in the interval $[-1,1]$. This surprising result has been motivated by the problem about HOMO-LUMO separation that arises in mathematical chemistry.Comment: Accepted for publication in Combin. Probab. Compu