Multimode interference: Highly regular pattern formation in quantum wave-packet evolution

Abstract

Highly regular spatiotemporal or multidimensional patterns in the quantum mechanical probability or classical field intensity distributions can appear due to pair interference between individual eigenmodes of the system, thus forming the so-called intermode traces. These patterns are strongly pronounced in any anharmonic potential, provided that the traces are multidegenerate; they may occur in many areas of wave physics.