Spectrum of Schrödinger operators on subcovering graphs

Abstract

We consider discrete Schr\"odinger operators with periodic potentials on periodic graphs. Their spectra consist of a finite number of bands. By "rolling up" a periodic graph along some appropriate directions we obtain periodic graphs of smaller dimensions called subcovering graphs. For example, rolling up a planar hexagonal lattice along different directions will lead to nanotubes with various chiralities. We show that the subcovering graph is asymptotically isospectral to the original periodic graph as the length of the "chiral" (roll up) vectors tends to infinity and get asymptotics of the band edges of the Schr\"odinger operator on the subcovering graph. We also obtain a criterion for the subcovering graph to be just isospectral to the original periodic graph. By isospectrality of periodic graphs we mean that the spectra of the Schr\"odinger operators on the graphs consist of the same number of bands and the corresponding bands coincide as sets.