Threshold analysis for a family of $2 \times 2$ operator matrices

Abstract: We consider a family of $2 \times 2$ operator matrices ${\mathcal A}\mu(k),$ $k \in {\Bbb T}^3:=(-\pi, \pi]^3,$ $\mu>0$, acting in the direct sum of zero- and one-particle subspaces of a Fock space. It is associated with the Hamiltonian of a system consisting of at most two particles on a three-dimensional lattice ${\Bbb Z}^3,$ interacting via annihilation and creation operators. We find a set $\Lambda:={k^{(1)},...,k^{(8)}} \subset {\Bbb T}^3$ and a critical value of the coupling constant $\mu$ to establish necessary and sufficient conditions for either $z=0=\min\limits{k\in {\Bbb T}^3} \sigma_{\rm ess}({\mathcal A}\mu(k))$ ( or $z=27/2=\max\limits{k\in {\Bbb T}^3} \sigma_{\rm ess}({\mathcal A}\mu(k))$ is a threshold eigenvalue or a virtual level of ${\mathcal A}\mu(k^{(i)})$ for some $k^{(i)} \in \Lambda.$