Spectral Continuity For Aperiodic Quantum Systems: Applications Of A Folklore Theorem

This work provides a necessary and sufficient condition for a symbolic dynamical system to admit a sequence of periodic approximations in the Hausdorff topology. The key result proved and applied here uses graphs that are called De Bruijn graphs, Rauzy graphs, or Anderson-Putnam complex, depending on the community. Combining this with a previous result, the present work justifies rigorously the accuracy and reliability of algorithmic methods used to compute numerically the spectra of a large class of self-adjoint operators. The so-called Hamiltonians describe the effective dynamic of a quantum particle in aperiodic media. No restrictions on the structure of these operators other than general regularity assumptions are imposed. In particular, nearest-neighbor correlation is not necessary. Examples for the Fibonacci and the Golay-Rudin-Shapiro sequences are explicitly provided illustrating this discussion. While the first sequence has been thoroughly studied by physicists and mathematicians alike, a shroud of mystery still surrounds the latter when it comes to spectral properties. In light of this, the present paper gives a new result here that might help uncovering a solution.