One-Dimensional Divergence-Type Jacobi Operators Driven by The Doubling Map

Abstract

We study one-dimensional Jacobi operators of divergence-gradient type on $\ell^2(\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0})$, with coefficients generated by the doubling map, $a_n(x)=a(2^n x \mathrm{mod} 1)$. For continuous positive sampling functions, we show that the almost-sure essential spectrum is an interval containing the bottom of the spectrum. Under the assumption $a\in C^1(\mathbb{T})$, we prove square-root asymptotics for the integrated density of states and obtain a small-energy expansion for the Lyapunov exponent as $E\to0^+$. The leading term of the Lyapunov exponent is linear and positive precisely under a nondegeneracy condition on the sampling function. In this case, we prove a large-deviation estimate for the transfer matrices with an explicit rate depending on $E$. As consequences, we obtain local H\"older continuity of the Lyapunov exponent and the integrated density of states near the bottom of the spectrum, as well as the Anderson localization. Some of these results extend the small-coupling results of Chulaevsky--Spencer and Bourgain--Schlag for Schr\"odinger operators generated by the doubling map to divergence-gradient type operators. The arguments adapt methods from those works, but require uniform control in the small-energy parameter and refined correlation estimates reflecting the divergence-gradient structure.