Nonlinear inversion for microwave characterization of targets in non-homogeneous media

Microwave inverse scattering in the presence of non-homogeneous media plays an important role in numerous applicative scenarios [1], [2]. Indeed, non-homogeneous media are present in several areas, such as in the industrial field for non-destructive testing or in civil engineering and geophysics, e.g., in the detection of buried structures. Moreover, other relevant applications can be found in cultural heritage monitoring, biomedical diagnostics and security applications [3], [4]. The main advantage of adopting microwave inverse scattering is that it allows inspecting and characterizing, in a non-invasive way, the targets and structures under test using safe and relatively cheap apparatuses.