Direct evidence of open ray orbits in a square two-dimensional resonator of dye-doped polymers

Lasing has been observed in optically pumped 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyrl)-4H-pyran-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) square-shaped micropillars that allow four-bounce closed and open ray orbits with internal incident angle θinc>θc (the critical angle for total internal reflection) and with the associated surface waves that emit at the four corners. We also detect strongly TE-polarized and spatially varying emission from the square sidewalls that is due to leaky open ray orbits with θinc near but less than θc for two of the four bounces. By selectively pumping the square microcavity with a stripe-shaped beam, we excite different four-bounce ray orbits.