Interpolation of subspaces and applications to exponential bases in Sobolev spaces

We give precise conditions under which the real interpolation space [Y_0,X_1]_{s,p} coincides with a closed subspace of the corresponding interpolation space [X_0,X_1]_{s,p} when Y_0 is a closed subspace of X_0 of codimension one. This result is applied to study the basis properties of nonharmonic Fourier series in Sobolev spaces H^s on an interval when 0<s<1. The main result: let E be a family of exponentials exp(i \lambda_n t) and E forms an unconditional basis in L^2 on an interval. Then there exist two number s_0, s_1 such that E forms an unconditional basis in H^s for s<s_0, E forms an unconditional basis in its span with codimension 1 in H^s for s_1<s. For s in [s_0,s_1] the exponential family is not an unconditional basis in its span.