We study the inverse scattering problem for the magnetic Schrödinger equation. Assuming the well-posedness of the direct problem under natural conditions on the potentials (established in the Appendix), we prove that a single far-field measurement can uniquely determine the polyhedral support $ \Omega $ of the potentials when the scatterer has a polyhedral structure.
A key theoretical ingredient is the proof that transmission eigenfunctions must vanish at corners in two dimensions and edges in three dimensions, provided the angle is not $ \pi $. This extends previous results for the non-magnetic case. The proof combines complex geometric optics solutions with careful asymptotic analysis near singular points.
Our work thus demonstrates that unique shape reconstruction is possible with minimal data for polyhedral scatterers, advancing the inverse problem theory for magnetic Schrödinger equations. The results have potential applications in material characterization and nondestructive testing involving magnetic fields.
| Citation: |
| [1] |
G. Alessandrini and L. Rondi, Determining a sound-soft polyhedral scatterer by a single far-field measurement, Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 133 (2005), 1685-1691; Erratum: 138 (2010), 375-376.
doi: 10.1090/S0002-9939-05-07810-X.
|
| [2] |
H. Ammari and H. Kang, Reconstruction of Small Inhomogeneities From Boundary Measurements, Springer, Berlin, 2004.
|
| [3] |
H. Ammari and H. Kang, Polarization and Moment Tensors: With Applications to Inverse Problems and Effective Medium Theory, Springer, Berlin, 2007.
|
| [4] |
W. Assaad and E. L. Giacomelli, A 3D-Schrödinger operator under magnetic steps with semiclassical applications, Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems - Series A, 43 (2023), 1-24.
doi: 10.3934/dcds.2022164.
|
| [5] |
E. Blåsten, Nonradiating sources and transmission eigenfunctions vanish at corners and edges, SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 50 (2018), 6255-6270.
doi: 10.1137/18M1182048.
|
| [6] |
E. Blåsten and H. Liu, On vanishing near corners of transmission eigenfunctions, Journal of Functional Analysis, 273 (2017), 3616-3632.
doi: 10.1016/j.jfa.2017.08.023.
|
| [7] |
E. Blåsten, X. Li, H. Liu and L. Wang, On vanishing and localizing of transmission eigenfunctions near singular points: A numerical study, Inverse Problems, 33 (2017), 105001.
doi: 10.1088/1361-6420/aa8826.
|
| [8] |
O. Bondarenko and X. Liu, The factorization method for inverse obstacle scattering with conductive boundary condition, Inverse Problems, 29 (2013), 095021.
doi: 10.1088/0266-5611/29/9/095021.
|
| [9] |
O. Bondarenko, I. Harris and A. Kleefeld, The interior transmission eigenvalue problem for an inhomogeneous media with a conductive boundary, Applicable Analysis, 96 (2017), 2-22.
doi: 10.1080/00036811.2016.1204440.
|
| [10] |
F. Cakoni and H. Haddar, On the regularity of the transmission eigenvalue problem for Maxwell's equations, Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, 442 (2016), 435-457.
|
| [11] |
F. Cakoni, D. Gintides and H. Haddar, The existence of an infinite discrete set of transmission eigenvalues, SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 42 (2010), 237-255.
doi: 10.1137/090769338.
|
| [12] |
F. Cakoni and D. Colton, Qualitative Methods in Inverse Scattering Theory: An Introduction, Springer, New York, 2005.
|
| [13] |
T. Chaumont-Frelet and S. Nicaise, High-frequency behaviour of corner singularities in Helmholtz problems, ESAIM: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis, 52 (2018), 1803-1845.
doi: 10.1051/m2an/2018031.
|
| [14] |
M. Costabel and M. Dauge, Construction of corner singularities for Agmon-Douglis-Nirenberg elliptic systems, Mathematische Nachrichten, 162 (1993), 209-237.
doi: 10.1002/mana.19931620117.
|
| [15] |
J. Cheng and M. Yamamoto, Uniqueness in an inverse scattering problem within non-trapping polygonal obstacles with at most two incoming waves, Inverse Problems, 19 (2003), 1361-1384.
doi: 10.1088/0266-5611/19/6/008.
|
| [16] |
D. Colton and R. Kress, Inverse Acoustic and Electromagnetic Scattering Theory, 4$^{th}$ edition, Springer, Berlin, 2019.
|
| [17] |
M. Dauge, Elliptic Boundary Value Problems on Corner Domains: Smoothness and Asymptotics of Solutions, Springer, Berlin, 2006.
|
| [18] |
Y. Deng, C. Duan and H. Liu, On vanishing near corners of conductive transmission eigenfunctions, Research in the Mathematical Sciences, 9 (2022), 1-29.
doi: 10.1007/s40687-021-00299-8.
|
| [19] |
H. Diao, X. Cao and H. Liu, On the geometric structures of transmission eigenfunctions with a conductive boundary condition and applications, Communications in Partial Differential Equations, 46 (2021), 630-679.
doi: 10.1080/03605302.2020.1857397.
|
| [20] |
H. Diao, X. Fei and H. Liu, Local geometric properties of conductive transmission eigenfunctions and applications, European Journal of Applied Mathematics, 36 (2025), 538-569.
doi: 10.1017/S0956792524000287.
|
| [21] |
H. Diao, X. Fei, H. Liu and L. Wang, Determining anomalies in a semilinear elliptic equation by a minimal number of measurements, Inverse Problems, 41 (2025), 055004.
doi: 10.1088/1361-6420/adc82a.
|
| [22] |
H. Diao and H. Liu, Spectral Geometry and Inverse Scattering Theory, Springer, Cham, 2023.
|
| [23] |
H. Diao, H. Liu, Q. Meng and L. Wang, On a coupled-physics transmission eigenvalue problem and its spectral properties with applications, Journal of Differential Equations, 441 (2025), 113508.
doi: 10.1016/j.jde.2025.113508.
|
| [24] |
H. Diao, Q. Meng and Z. Sun, Effective medium theory for embedded sound-soft obstacles in an anisotropic inhomogeneous medium with applications, preprint, (2025), arXiv: 2509.23163.
|
| [25] |
G. Hu, M. Salo and E. V. Vesalainen, Shape identification in inverse medium scattering problems with a single far-field pattern, SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, 48 (2016), 152-165.
doi: 10.1137/15M1032958.
|
| [26] |
V. Isakov, Inverse Problems for Partial Differential Equations, 2$^{nd}$ edition, Springer, New York, 2006.
|
| [27] |
V. Ivrii, Magnetic Schrödinger Operator: Geometry, Classical and Quantum Dynamics and Spectral Asymptotics, Séminaire Équations aux dérivées partielles, Polytechnique, 1 (2007), 23.
|
| [28] |
R. Kress, V. Maz'ya and V. Kozlov, Linear Integral Equations, Springer, Berlin, 1989.
|
| [29] |
K. Krupchyk, M. Lassas and G. Uhlmann, Inverse problems for Dirac operators with vector potentials, Communications in Mathematical Physics, 312 (2012), 731-770.
doi: 10.1007/s00220-012-1431-1.
|
| [30] |
A. Larraín-Hubach and J. Shapiro, Semiclassical estimates for the magnetic Schrödinger operator on the line, preprint, (2024), arXiv: 2408.11222.
|
| [31] |
H. Liu and J. Zou, Uniqueness in an inverse acoustic obstacle scattering problem for both sound-hard and sound-soft polyhedral scatterers, Inverse Problems, 22 (2006), 515-524.
doi: 10.1088/0266-5611/22/2/008.
|
| [32] |
H. Liu and J. Zou, Uniqueness in determining multiple polygonal scatterers of mixed type, Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems - Series B, 9 (2008), 375-388.
doi: 10.3934/dcdsb.2008.9.375.
|
| [33] |
H. Liu, On local and global structures of transmission eigenfunctions and beyond, Journal of Inverse and Ill-posed Problems, 30 (2022), 287-305.
doi: 10.1515/jiip-2020-0099.
|
| [34] |
W. C. H. McLean, Strongly Elliptic Systems and Boundary Integral Equations, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000.
|
| [35] |
Z. Mghazli, Regularity of an elliptic problem with mixed Dirichlet-Robin boundary conditions in a polygonal domain, Calcolo, 29 (1992), 241-267.
doi: 10.1007/BF02576184.
|
| [36] |
Z. Sun, An inverse boundary value problem for Schrödinger operators with vector potentials, Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, 338 (1993), 953-969.
doi: 10.1090/S0002-9947-1993-1179400-1.
|
| [37] |
G. Uhlmann, Electrical impedance tomography and Calderón's problem, Inverse Problems, 25 (2003), 123011.
doi: 10.1088/0266-5611/25/12/123011.
|
Illustration of the geometry in 2D
Illustration of the geometry in 3D
Illustration of
Schematic illustration