Numerical solution of inverse scattering for near-field optics

A novel regularized recursive linearization method is developed for a two-dimensional inverse medium scattering problem that arises in near-field optics, which reconstructs the scatterer of an inhomogeneous medium located on a substrate from data accessible through photon scanning tunneling microscopy experiments. Based on multiple frequency scattering data, the method starts from the Born approximation corresponding to weak scattering at a low frequency, and each update is obtained by continuation on the wavenumber from solutions of one forward problem and one adjoint problem of the Helmholtz equation.