The structure of irreducible matrix groups with submultiplicative spectrum

We describe the structure of irreducible matrix groups with submultiplicative spectrum. Since all such groups are nilpotent, the study is focused on p-groups. We obtain a block-monomial structure of matrices in irreducible p-groups and build polycyclic series arising from that structure. We give an upper bound to the exponent of these groups. We determine all minimal irreducible groups of p× p matrices with submultiplicative spectrum and discuss the case of p²× p² matrices if p is an odd prime.