A neural operator framework for solving inverse scattering problems

Abstract: We present a neural operator framework for solving inverse scattering problems. A neural operator produces a preliminary indicator function for the scatterer, which, after appropriate rescaling, is used as a regularization parameter within the Linear Sampling Method to validate the initial reconstruction. The neural operator is implemented as a DeepONet with a fixed radial-basis-function trunk, while the noise level required for rescaling is estimated using a dedicated neural network. A neural tangent kernel analysis guides the architectural design, reducing the network tuning to a single discretization parameter, adjustable according to the wavelength. Two-dimensional numerical experiments demonstrate the method's effectiveness, with a Python toolbox provided for reproducibility.