Estimation of the Born data in inverse scattering of layered media

The first term in the Born series, as we call the Born data, is linear with the scatterers. Here we present a scheme to map the total field data to the Born data in layered media using only the single-input single-output (SISO) setup. This nonlinear mapping is based on the reduced order model (ROM) approach, which constructs ROMs of the original wave operator. Normally, the construction of ROMs requires multi-input multi-output (MIMO) data. By introducing fictitious sensors, we estimate the Born data with SISO data in layered media. We give a simple way of using the time-domain Green’s function to estimate the received data for other fictitious sensors without calculating the complicated Sommerfeld integral. The resulted Born data contains only the single-scattering component, which can be helpful for many imaging applications. A numerical example is given incorporating the direct imaging back-propagation method. It validates the linearity of the Born data by providing an artifact-free image without the optimization process.