  We show that scar-like structures (SLS) in a wide aperture vertical cavity
surface emitting laser (VCSEL) can be formed even in a perfectly square
geometry due to interaction of polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of
light. We show also that dissipation in the system induces an order among the
cavity modes, so that SLS become preferred at lasing threshold. More generally,
modes which are more localized both in coordinate and momentum space have in
average lower losses.
