Scar-like structures and their localization in a perfectly square optical billiard

Abstract

We show that scar-like structures (SLS) in a wide aperture vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) can be formed even in a perfectly square geometry due to interaction of polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of light. We show also that dissipation in the system induces an order among the cavity modes, so that SLS become preferred at lasing threshold. More generally, modes which are more localized both in coordinate and momentum space have in average lower losses.