Pairs of projections and commuting isometries

Abstract

It is known that the non-zero part of compact defect operators of Berger-Coburn-Lebow pairs (BCL pairs in short) of isometries are diagonal operators of the form \[ \begin{bmatrix} I_1 & & & \\ & D & & \\ & & - I_2 & \\ & & & - D \\ \end{bmatrix}, \] where $I_1$ and $I_2$ are the identity operators and $D$ is a positive contractive diagonal operator. We discuss the question of constructing an irreducible BCL pair from a diagonal operator of the above type. The answer to this question is sometimes in the affirmative and sometimes in the negative. This also answers a part of the question raised by He, Qin, and Yang. Our explicit constructions of BCL pairs yield concrete examples of pairs of commuting isometries.