An improved maximal inequality for 2D fractional order Schrödinger operators

Abstract

The local maximal inequality for the Schrödinger operators of order $\a>1$ is shown to be bounded from $H^s(\R^2)$ to $L^2$ for any $s>\frac38$. This improves the previous result of Sjölin on the regularity of solutions to fractional order Schrödinger equations. Our method is inspired by Bourgain's argument in case of $\a=2$. The extension from $\a=2$ to general $\a>1$ confronts three essential obstacles: the lack of Lee's reduction lemma, the absence of the algebraic structure of the symbol and the inapplicable Galilean transformation in the deduction of the main theorem. We get around these difficulties by establishing a new reduction lemma at our disposal and analyzing all the possibilities in using the separateness of the segments to obtain the analogous bilinear $L^2-$estimates. To compensate the absence of Galilean invariance, we resort to Taylor's expansion for the phase function. The Bourgain-Guth inequality in \cite{ref Bourgain Guth} is also rebuilt to dominate the solution of fractional order Schrödinger equations.