Experimental Studies of Chaos and Localization in Quantum Wave Functions

Abstract

Wave functions in chaotic and disordered quantum billiards are studied experimentally using thin microwave cavities. The chaotic wave functions display universal density distributions and density autocorrelations in agreement with expressions derived from a 0D nonlinear \ensuremath{\sigma} model of supersymmetry, which coincides with random matrix theory. In contrast, disordered wave functions show deviations from this universal behavior due to Anderson localization. A systematic behavior of the distribution function is studied as a function of the localization length, and can be understood in the framework of a 1D version of the nonlinear \ensuremath{\sigma} model.