OPTICAL MICROCAVITIES OF SPIRAL SHAPE: FROM QUANTUM CHAOS TO DIRECTED LASER EMISSION

Optical microcavities are open billiards tor light in which electromagnetic waves can, however. be confined by total internal reflection at dielectric boundaries. These resonators enrich the class of model systems in the field of quantum chaos and are an ideal testing ground for the correspondence of ray and wave dynamics that, typically, is taken for granted. Using phase-space methods we show that this assumption has to be corrected towards the long-wavelength limit. We also discuss the issue of achieving directional emission from optical microcavity lasers, highly desired concerning applications in photonic devices, with a focus on cavities of spiral shape.