Spectral theory of Pauli-Fierz operators

We study spectral properties of pauli Fierz operators which are commonly used to describe the interaction of a small quantum system with a bosonic free field. We give precise estimates of the location and multiplicity of the singular spectrum of such operators. Applications of these estimates, which will be discussed elsewhere, concern spectral and ergodic theory of non-relativistic QED. Our proof has two ingredients: the Feshbach method, which is developed in an abstract framework, and Mourre theory applied to the operator restricted to the sector orthogonal to the vacuum. (C) 2001 Academic Press.