# Learning two-phase microstructure evolution using neural operators and autoencoder architectures

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2204.07230 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.07230/

## Key facts

- Cited by 72 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 11 of its 65 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 11 Apr 2022.

## Builds on (most cited first, 11 of 11)

- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [Fourier Neural Operator for Parametric Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.08895/) (2020)
- [DeepONet: Learning nonlinear operators for identifying differential equations based on the universal approximation theorem of operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.03193/) (2019)
- [TensorFlow: Large-Scale Machine Learning on Heterogeneous Distributed Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1603.04467/) (2016)
- [Learning the solution operator of parametric partial differential equations with physics-informed DeepOnets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.10974/) (2021)
- [An Energy Approach to the Solution of Partial Differential Equations in Computational Mechanics via Machine Learning: Concepts, Implementation and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.10407/) (2019)
- [Transfer learning enhanced physics informed neural network for phase-field modeling of fracture](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.02531/) (2019)
- [A physics-informed variational DeepONet for predicting the crack path in brittle materials](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.06905/) (2021)
- [Medical image denoising using convolutional denoising autoencoders](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1608.04667/) (2016)
- [Bi-fidelity Modeling of Uncertain and Partially Unknown Systems using DeepONets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.00997/) (2022)
- [Machine learning materials physics: Multi-resolution neural networks learn the free energy and nonlinear elastic response of evolving microstructures](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.01575/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 72)

- [Physics-Informed Deep Neural Operator Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.05748/) (2022)
- [Blending Neural Operators and Relaxation Methods in PDE Numerical Solvers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.13273/) (2022)
- [Integrating Neural Operators with Diffusion Models Improves Spectral Representation in Turbulence Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.08477/) (2024)
- [SVD Perspectives for Augmenting DeepONet Flexibility and Interpretability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.12670/) (2022)
- [Neural Operator Learning for Long-Time Integration in Dynamical Systems with Recurrent Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.02243/) (2023)
- [On the training and generalization of deep operator networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.01020/) (2023)
- [Mitigating Spectral Bias in Neural Operators via High-Frequency Scaling for Physical Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.13695/) (2025)
- [Learning stiff chemical kinetics using extended deep neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.12645/) (2023)
- [RiemannONets: Interpretable Neural Operators for Riemann Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.08886/) (2024)
- [Rethinking materials simulations: Blending direct numerical simulations with neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.05410/) (2023)
- [Physics-Guided, Physics-Informed, and Physics-Encoded Neural Networks in Scientific Computing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.07377/) (2022)
- [Neural Integral Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.15190/) (2022)
- [Neural Chaos: A Spectral Stochastic Neural Operator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.11835/) (2025)
- [Learning in latent spaces improves the predictive accuracy of deep neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.07599/) (2023)
- [A Framework Based on Symbolic Regression Coupled with eXtended Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Gray-Box Learning of Equations of Motion from Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10706/) (2023)
- [Synergistic Learning with Multi-Task DeepONet for Efficient PDE Problem Solving](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.02198/) (2024)
- [Real-time Inference and Extrapolation via a Diffusion-inspired Temporal Transformer Operator (DiTTO)](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.09072/) (2023)
- [MORPH: PDE Foundation Models with Arbitrary Data Modality](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.21670/) (2025)
- [Sound propagation in realistic interactive 3D scenes with parameterized sources using deep neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.05141/) (2023)
- [Accelerating Phase Field Simulations Through a Hybrid Adaptive Fourier Neural Operator with U-Net Backbone](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.17119/) (2024)
- [Learning bias corrections for climate models using deep neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.03173/) (2023)
- [Physics-Informed Latent Neural Operator for Real-time Predictions of time-dependent parametric PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.08428/) (2025)
- [An unsupervised latent/output physics-informed convolutional-LSTM network for solving partial differential equations using peridynamic differential operator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.12177/) (2022)
- [Adaptive physics-informed neural operator for coarse-grained non-equilibrium flows](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.15799/) (2022)
- [G2Phinet: Relating Genotype and Biomechanical Phenotype of Tissues with Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.09889/) (2022)
- [A hybrid Decoder-DeepONet operator regression framework for unaligned observation data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.09274/) (2023)
- [Shape-informed surrogate models based on signed distance function domain encoding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.12400/) (2024)
- [A Variational Framework for Residual-Based Adaptivity in Neural PDE Solvers and Operator Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.14198/) (2025)
- [SMS: Spiking Marching Scheme for Efficient Long Time Integration of Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.09928/) (2022)
- [Teaching Artificial Intelligence to Perform Rapid, Resolution-Invariant Grain Growth Modeling via Fourier Neural Operator](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.14568/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Phase-field modeling is an effective but computationally expensive method for capturing the mesoscale morphological and microstructure evolution in materials. Hence, fast and generalizable surrogate models are needed to alleviate the cost of computationally taxing processes such as in optimization and design of materials. The intrinsic discontinuous nature of the physical phenomena incurred by the presence of sharp phase boundaries makes the training of the surrogate model cumbersome. We develop a framework that integrates a convolutional autoencoder architecture with a deep neural operator (DeepONet) to learn the dynamic evolution of a two-phase mixture and accelerate time-to-solution in predicting the microstructure evolution. We utilize the convolutional autoencoder to provide a compact representation of the microstructure data in a low-dimensional latent space. DeepONet, which consists of two sub-networks, one for encoding the input function at a fixed number of sensors locations (branch net) and another for encoding the locations for the output functions (trunk net), learns the mesoscale dynamics of the microstructure evolution from the autoencoder latent space. The decoder part of the convolutional autoencoder then reconstructs the time-evolved microstructure from the DeepONet predictions. The trained DeepONet architecture can then be used to replace the high-fidelity phase-field numerical solver in interpolation tasks or to accelerate the numerical solver in extrapolation tasks.