On spectral gaps of Markov maps

Abstract: It is shown that if a Markov map $T$ on a noncommutative probability space $\mathcal{M}$ has a spectral gap on $L_2(\mathcal{M})$, then it also has one on $L_p(\mathcal{M})$ for $1<p<\infty$. For fixed $p$, the converse also holds if $T$ is factorizable. These results are also new for classical probability spaces.