Measurement of long-range wavefunction correlations in an open microwave billiard

TL;DR

This study experimentally examines how wavefunction properties in an open chaotic microwave billiard transition from real to complex as the number of channels increases, confirming theoretical predictions about phase rigidity and correlations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed experimental measurement of the crossover from real to complex wavefunctions in an open chaotic cavity, validating theoretical models.

Findings

Wavefunctions transition from real to complex with increasing channels.

Measured phase rigidity distribution matches theoretical predictions.

Long-range correlations of intensity and current density agree with theory.

Abstract

We investigate the statistical properties of wavefunctions in an open chaotic cavity. When the number of channels in the openings of the billiard is increased by varying the frequency, wavefunctions cross over from real to complex. The distribution of the phase rigidity, which characterizes the degree to which a wavefunction is complex, and long-range correlations of intensity and current density are studied as a function of the number of channels in the openings. All measured quantities are in perfect agreement with theoretical predictions.