Direct and inverse scattering in an optical waveguide^*

Abstract In this paper, we study the direct and inverse scattering of the Schrödinger equation in a three-dimensional optical planar waveguide. For the direct problem, we derive a resonance-free region and resolvent estimates for the resolvent of the Schrödinger operator in such a geometry. Based on the analysis of the resolvent, several inverse problems are investigated. First, given the potential function, we prove the uniqueness of the inverse source problem with multi-frequency data. We also develop a Fourier-based method to reconstruct the source function. The capability of this method is numerically illustrated by examples. Second, the uniqueness and increased stability of an inverse potential problem from data generated by incident waves are achieved in the absence of the source function. To derive the stability estimate, we use an argument of quantitative analytic continuation in complex theory. Third, we prove the uniqueness of simultaneously determining the source and potential by active boundary data generated by incident waves. In these inverse problems, we only use the limited lateral Dirichlet boundary data at multiple wavenumbers within a finite interval.