Open level lines of a superposition of periodic potentials on a plane

Abstract

We consider here open level lines of potentials resulting from the superposition of two different periodic potentials on the plane. This problem can be considered as a particular case of the Novikov problem on the behavior of open level lines of quasi-periodic potentials on the plane with four quasi-periods. At the same time, the formulation of this problem may have many additional features that arise in important physical systems related to it. Here we will try to give a general description of the emerging picture both in the most general case and in the presence of additional restrictions. The main approach to describing the possible behavior of the open level lines will be based on their division into topologically regular and chaotic level lines.