# DeepRitzSplit Neural Operator for Phase-Field Models via Energy Splitting

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.18261 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.18261/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 16 of its 40 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Apr 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 16 of 16)

- [U-Net: Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.04597/) (2015)
- [Fourier Neural Operator for Parametric Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.08895/) (2020)
- [Neural Operator: Graph Kernel Network for Partial Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.03485/) (2020)
- [Scientific Machine Learning through Physics-Informed Neural Networks: Where we are and What's next](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.05624/) (2022)
- [The Deep Ritz method: A deep learning-based numerical algorithm for solving variational problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.00211/) (2017)
- [Model Reduction and Neural Networks for Parametric PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.03180/) (2020)
- [Convolutional Neural Operators for robust and accurate learning of PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.01178/) (2023)
- [Equinox: neural networks in JAX via callable PyTrees and filtered transformations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.00254/) (2021)
- [Solving Allen-Cahn and Cahn-Hilliard Equations using the Adaptive Physics Informed Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.04542/) (2020)
- [A physics-informed operator regression framework for extracting data-driven continuum models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2009.11992/) (2020)
- [Numerical analysis of physics-informed neural networks and related models in physics-informed machine learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.10926/) (2024)
- [Phase-Field DeepONet: Physics-informed deep operator neural network for fast simulations of pattern formation governed by gradient flows of free-energy functionals](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.13368/) (2023)
- [Rethinking materials simulations: Blending direct numerical simulations with neural operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.05410/) (2023)
- [A finite element-based physics-informed operator learning framework for spatiotemporal partial differential equations on arbitrary domains](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.12465/) (2024)
- [Energy-Dissipative Evolutionary Deep Operator Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06281/) (2023)
- [Energy Dissipation Preserving Physics Informed Neural Network for Allen-Cahn Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.08760/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The multi-scale and non-linear nature of phase-field models of solidification requires fine spatial and temporal discretization, leading to long computation times. This could be overcome with artificial-intelligence approaches. Surrogate models based on neural operators could have a lower computational cost than conventional numerical discretization methods. We propose a new neural operator approach that bridges classical convex-concave splitting schemes with physics-informed learning to accelerate the simulation of phase-field models. It consists of a Deep Ritz method, where a neural operator is trained to approximate a variational formulation of the phase-field model. By training the neural operator with an energy-splitting variational formulation, we enforce the energy dissipation property of the underlying models. We further introduce a custom Reaction-Diffusion Neural Operator (RDNO) architecture, adapted to the operators of the model equations. We successfully apply the deep learning approach to the isotropic Allen-Cahn equation and to anisotropic dendritic growth simulation. We demonstrate that our physically-informed training provides better generalization in out-of-distribution evaluations than data-driven training, while achieving faster inference than traditional Fourier spectral methods.