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    Bound-like states in a one-dimensional self-similar δ-barrier array

    Jia-Chen Tang1,*, Xu-Yang Hou1,*, Yan He2, and Hao Guo1,3,†

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: guohao.ph@seu.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. A 112, 013319 – Published 29 July, 2025

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kbty-mxxb

    Abstract

    We investigate a one-dimensional quantum system with a self-similar arrangement of δ-function potential barriers, exhibiting discrete scale invariance. The singular potential induces kinematically enforced symmetry breaking at x=0, decoupling the positive and negative spatial regions and leading to nonsymmetric zero-energy states. We demonstrate that the system supports a unique zero-energy wave function, which, although it is not square integrable, decays to zero at infinity and acts as a bound-like state with self-similar properties under discrete scaling transformations, akin to Efimov physics but limited to a single state. In momentum space, this wave function exhibits a threshold singularity at low momenta, with behavior depending on the scaling exponent α: power-law divergence and log-periodic modulations for 0<α<1, logarithmic divergence for α=1, and a finite limit for α>1, which may be observable through time-of-flight or spectroscopic measurements in cold-atom experiments. The system's continuous spectrum, starting at zero energy, lacks discrete bound states. These findings highlight the role of singular potentials in generating scale-invariant quantum phenomena and provide a minimal framework for studying discrete scale symmetry and its potential experimental signatures.

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