Universal constraints on the location of extrema of eigenfunctions of non-local Schrödinger operators (Q1737537)

It is well-known that for a Bernstein function $\Psi$, [\textit{R. L. Schilling} et al., Bernstein functions. Theory and applications. 2nd revised and extended ed. Berlin: de Gruyter (2012; Zbl 1257.33001)], the operator $\Psi(-\Delta)$ is the generator of a Lévy process which can be obtained from a Brownian motion by an independent time-change (subordination in the sense of Bochner); $-\Psi(-\Delta)$ can be interpreted in any reasonable functional-calculus sense. The authors perturb $-\Psi(-D)$ by a potential $V$ and consider the Dirichlet eigenvalue problem for the operator $H=\psi(-\Delta)+V$ on a bounded convex domain $D\subset\mathbb R^d$: $Hu = \lambda u$ on $D$ and $u=0$ on $D^c$. If $\Psi$ grows fast enough as $|x|\to\infty$, the operator $\Psi(-\Delta)$ has, as operator in $L^2(D)$, countably many non-negative eigenvalues $\lambda_i^D$, and this property is inherited by the perturbed operator $H$; the eigenvalues are $\lambda_i^{D,V}$. In addition, it is assumed that the Bernstein function $\Psi$ satisfies a lower scaling condition: There exist $\mu>0$ and $c\in (0,1]$ such that $\Psi(\gamma x)\geq c\gamma^\mu\Psi(x)$ holds for all $x>0$ and $\gamma\geq 1$. The potential $V$ is assumed to be a $\Psi$-Kato class potential, if the negative part $V^-$ and, for each compact set, the localized positive part $V^+ 1_{K}$ satisfy the condition \[ \lim_{t\to 0}\sup_{x\in\mathbb R^d}\mathbb{E}^x\int_0^t |f(X_s)|\,ds =0,\quad f\in\{V^-,V^+ 1_K\}. \] The main result of the paper states the following: Let $V$ be a $\Psi$-Kato class potential with $V^-\in L^p$ and $p>d/(2\mu)$, let $\phi$ be a non-zero eigenfunction for the eigenvalue $\lambda^{D,V}$ such that $|\phi|$ has a global maximum at $x^*\in D$, $r=\text{dist}(x^*,\partial D)$. Then there are constants $\Theta_1, \Theta_2>0$ such that \[ \Theta_1\|V^-\|_{L^p}^{1/\eta}-\inf_D V^+ + \lambda^{V,D}\geq\Theta_2\Psi(r^{-2}); \] here, $\eta = 1- d/(2\mu p)$. If $V$ is bounded this estimate is improved to \[ \sup_D V^- - \inf_D V^+ + \lambda^{D,V} \geq \Theta_3\Psi(r^{-2}). \] Some applications are given, for example a Faber-Krahn type inequality.