Wavefunction scarring in open quantum dots: A microwave-billiard analog study

Young-Hee Kim(1), M. Barth(1), H.-J. Stöckmann(1), J.P. Bird(2)

(1) Fachbereich Physik, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
(2) Department of Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University, USA

We study the wavefunctions and transmission properties of an open microwave cavity in the frequency range of 1 - 17 GHz. The transmission of microwaves between the input and output antennas of cavity is found to exhibit large fluctuations as a function of frequency, while the cavity wavefunctions are found to reveal the presence of periodically-recurring scars, in close correspondence with specific peaks in the Fourier transform of the transmission fluctuations. This work therefore provides strong support for the results of recent studies of open quantum dots [1], which have revealed the presence of measurable transport effects associated with specific wavefunction scars.

References
[1] R. Akis, D.K. Ferry, and J.P. Bird, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 123 (1997)