Unidirectional light emission from low-index polymer microlasers

We report on experiments with deformed polymer microlasers that have a low refractive index and exhibit unidirectional light emission. We demonstrate that the highly directional emission is due to transport of light rays along the unstable manifold of the chaotic saddle in phase space. Experiments, ray-tracing simulations, and mode calculations show very good agreement.

Dielectric Square Resonator Investigated with Microwave Experiments

We present a detailed experimental study of the symmetry properties and the momentum space representation of the field distributions of a dielectric square resonator as well as the comparison with a semiclassical model. The experiments have been performed with a flat ceramic microwave resonator. Both the resonance spectra and the field distributions were measured. The momentum space representations of the latter evidenced that the resonant states are each related to a specific classical torus, leading to the regular structure of the spectrum. Furthermore, they allow for a precise determination of the refractive index. Measurements with different arrangements of the emitting and the receiving antennas were performed and their influence on the symmetry properties of the field distributions was investigated in detail, showing that resonances with specific symmetries can be selected purposefully. In addition, the length spectrum deduced from the measured resonance spectra and the trace formula for the dielectric square resonator are discussed in the framework of the semiclassical model.

Experimental Observation of Localized Modes in a Dielectric Square Resonator

We investigated the frequency spectra and field distributions of a dielectric square resonator in a microwave experiment. Since such systems cannot be treated analytically, the experimental studies of their properties are indispensable. The momentum representation of the measured field distributions shows that all resonant modes are localized on specific classical tori of the square billiard. Based on these observations a semiclassical model was developed. It shows excellent agreement with all but a single class of measured field distributions that will be treated separately.

Bound States in Sharply Bent Waveguides: Analytical and Experimental Approach

Quantum wires and electromagnetic waveguides possess common features since their physics is described by the same wave equation. We exploit this analogy to investigate experimentally with microwave waveguides and theoretically with the help of an effective potential approach the occurrence of bound states in sharply bent quantum wires. In particular, we compute the bound states, study the features of the transition from a bound to an unbound state caused by the variation of the bending angle and determine the critical bending angles at which such a transition takes place. The predictions are confirmed by calculations based on a conventional numerical method as well as experimental measurements of the spectra and electric field intensity distributions of electromagnetic waveguides.