  We study long-lived resonances (lowest-loss modes) in hexagonally shaped
dielectric resonators in order to gain insight into the physics of a class of
microcrystal lasers. Numerical results on resonance positions and lifetimes,
near-field intensity patterns, far-field emission patterns, and effects of
rounding of corners are presented. Most features are explained by a
semiclassical approximation based on pseudointegrable ray dynamics and boundary
waves. The semiclassical model is also relevant for other microlasers of
polygonal geometry.
