Measurement of long-range wave-function correlations in an open microwave billiard

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Jan 28;94(3):036804. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.036804. Epub 2005 Jan 28.

Abstract

We investigate the statistical properties of wave functions in an open chaotic cavity. When the number of channels in the openings of the billiard is increased by varying the frequency, wave functions cross over from real to complex. The distribution of the phase rigidity, which characterizes the degree to which a wave function 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.