Fixed energy potentials through an auxiliary inverse eigenvalue problem

Abstract

An inverse scattering method based on an auxiliary inverse Sturm–Liouville problem recently proposed by Horváth and Apagyi (2008 Mod. Phys. Lett. B 22 2137) is examined in various aspects and developed further to (re)construct spherically symmetric fixed energy potentials of compact support realized in the three-dimensional Schrödinger equation. The method is generalized to obtain a family of inverse procedures characterized by two parameters originating, respectively, from the Liouville transformation and the solution of the inverse Sturm–Liouville problem. Both parameters affect the bound states arising in the auxiliary inverse spectral problem and one of them enables us to reduce their number which is assessed by a simple method. Various solution techniques of the underlying moment problem are proposed including the exact Cauchy matrix inversion method, usage of spurious bound state and assessment of the number of bound states. Examples include (re)productions of potentials from phase shifts known theoretically or derived from scattering experiments.