On the Bands of the Schrodinger Operator with a Matrix Potential

Abstract

In this article we consider the one-dimensional Schrodinger operator L(Q) with a Hermitian periodic m by m matrix potential Q. We investigate the bands and gaps of the spectrum and prove that the main part of the positive real axis is overlapped by m bands. Moreover, we find a condition on the potential Q for which the number of gaps in the spectrum of L(Q) is finite.